


VIRAGO || Band of Brothers

by easycompanytookmysoul



Category: Band of Brothers (TV 2001)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:20:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 38,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29578773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/easycompanytookmysoul/pseuds/easycompanytookmysoul
Summary: Resilient, intelligent and kind hearted, Rosalie Marseille has a bright future ahead of her; but what happens when war threatens her country? Rosalie is just 15 years old when the war breaks out and 17 when it comes to America. She's heard the stories of her parents in the Great War, so when the United States Government asks for assistance from all those able to serve, Rosalie is determined to help. She signed up for the Nurse Corps, however, she finds herself a lot closer to the frontline than she had first hoped.-----------------------Virago(n.) a strong or brave woman; a woman who demonstrates exemplary and heroic qualities-----------------------
Relationships: Ronald Speirs/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 8





	1. VIRAGO

What do we say to death?

**Not today**   
  
  


——————————————————  
——

Jenna Coleman as **Rosalie "Mars" Marseille**

"Who I am is where I stand. Where I stand is where I fall."

Born April 15, 1924

{ **Enrolment as Junior nurse** in the United States Nurse Corps, April 1942, age 18}

{ **Reassigned** to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne as **Corporal and combat medic** , June 1942, age 18}

{ **Field commission to Technician Fourth Grade (sergeant/T4)** at Bastogne, January 1945, age 20}

{ **Field commission to Technician Third Grade (staff sergeant/T3)** at Haguenau, France, 1945, age 21}

  
  



	2. CAST

Ewan McGregor as **Mr. Charles Marseille**

  
  
  
Melissa Ponzio as **Mrs. Mia Marseille**

  
  
  
Edward Burns as **Richard "Richie" Marseille**

Born June 24, 1921  
{ **Sergeant** in the United States Army Corps, Africa}  
  
  


Dean-Charles Chapman as **Jamie Marseille**

Born April 15, 1924, 12 minutes before Rosalie  
{ **Corporal** in the United States Marine Corps, the Pacific}  
  
  


Maisie Williams as **Beatrix "Trixie" Marseille**

Born February 16, 1928  
{ **Junior nurse** in the United States Nurse Corps}  
  
  


Linda Bassett as **Nurse Crane**

{ **Head Nurse** in the United States Nurse Corps, California Facility}


	3. EASY COMPANY

Damian Lewis as **Major Richard "Dick" Winters**

****

  
  
Ron Livingston as **Captain Lewis Nixon**

  
  
Matthew Settle as **Captain Ronald "Sparky" Speirs**

  
  
Neal McDonough as **Lieutenant Lynn "Buck" Compton**

  
  
Donnie Wahlberg as **Second Lieutenant Carwood Lipton**

  
  
Frank John Hughes as **Staff Sergeant William "Wild Bill" Guarnere**

  
  
****Kirk Acevedo as **Staff Sergeant Joseph Toye**

  
  
Michael Cudlitz as **Staff Sergeant Denver "Bull" Randleman**

  
  
Rick Gomez as **Technician Fourth Grade (Sergeant) George Luz**

  
  
Shane Taylor as **Technician Fourth Grade (Sergeant) Medic Eugene "Doc" Roe**

  
  
Robin Laing as **Private Edward "Babe" Heffron**

  
  
**Rest of the Band of Brothers cast as themselves**

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried my best to list each men's ranks accurately but there may be some mistakes


	4. SOUNDTRACK

**Band of Brothers Main Theme** ~ Michael Kamen

**Honour** ~ Hans Zimmer

**The Vikings are Told of Ragnar's Death** ~ Trevor Morris

**Stoick's Ship** ~ John Powell

**The Host of Seraphim** ~ Dead Can Dance

**Church** ~ Lawless ft. Valen

**Dear God** ~ Lawless ft. Sydney Wayser

**Wake Up World** ~ UNSECRET ft. Ruelle

**Warriors** ~ 2WEI ft. Edda Hayes

**Tomorrow We Fight** ~ Tommee Profitt ft. SVRCINA

**Meet Me on the Battlefield** ~ SVRCINA

**Soldier** ~ Fleurie

**Jenny of Oldstones** ~ Florence + The Machine

**Poor Wayfaring Stranger** ~ Jos Slovick  
(1917)

**Knocking on Heavens Door** ~ RAIGN

**Everybody Knows** ~ Sigrid

**Achilles Come Down** ~ Gang of Youths

**This is War** ~ Matthew Raetzel

**Soldier, Poet, King** ~ The Oh Hellos

**Silhouettes** ~ Of Monsters and Men

**Brother** ~ Kodaline

**The Man** ~ Taylor Swift

**Ashes** ~ Céline Dion

**Rise** ~ Katy Perry

**Epiphany** ~ Taylor Swift

**O Children** ~ Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds

**Leaves from the Vine** ~ Madame Madrigal Cover (from Avatar the Last Airbender by Mako)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the playlist: [ Virago Soundtrack](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1LVBAvvVDU8pSrrUYBQAjh?si=7eBSBB0xTgilbPWUULt6XA)
> 
> The cover of Leaves From the Vine isn't available on spotify, so here's the youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cao-FrKnK1w


	5. EPIGRAPH

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the parts that @wexhappyxfew and I agreed should be changed as our epigraphs were the exact same. It was unintentional but out of respect for them I've changed it

_from this day to the ending of the world_

_we in it shall be remembered_

_we few_

_we happy few_

_we **band of brothers**_


	6. PROLOGUE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the parts of Virago that @wexhappyxfewand I felt and agreed on being to similar to Sunshine Soldier, so to prevent anymore issues or confusion, I rewrote it.

**June 4th, 1944 - Upottery, England**

A young medic, with war paint on her face, tied her laces a little tighter and double checked her med kit more times than she could count that day. Her heart pounded in her chest, it was racing faster than she had ever ran up Currahee that was for sure. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she opened her musette bag, once again, to recount all of her equipment. Today was the day, everything had to be perfect. Today was when it _really_ m-

"Easy company!" The girl looked up, a little confused at first but then she soon realised that the company was moving out. Her heart began pounding harder than before, not that she thought that was possible. She wished that she had something other than her med kit to take her mind off the invasion scheduled for that night.

Walking to the large group, the medic managed to find some of her friends in the mess of soldiers. They all greeted her with a weary smile and an affectionate pat on the shoulder before they continued moving.

"Easy company, listen up! Gather up around me! Move it up! C'mon lady and gentlemen." Lieutenant Meehan yelled. "Let's go!" His firm voice ringing out across the company. "Now, the channel coast is socked in rain and fog. High winds on the drop zone. No jump tonight!" He confirmed. "The invasion has been postponed. We're on 24 hour stand down."

"Son of a bitch" Bill growled.

The young girl looked up at him and groaned. This cannot be happening. The men surrounding her chuckled darkly and shook their heads as the company made its way back across the airfield. 

It was a truly a disappointingly magnificent sight to see, hundreds of paratroopers, with dark oil and grease on their faces, were unloading the equipment from the planes they had just finished packing mere hours ago. Their preparations, those two years worth of training training for this very moment all came crashing down for one simple reason.

There would be no jump tonight. 

The air that used to be thick with tension was now filled with disappointment and irritation. Each soldier knew what was going to happen eventually. Each soldier knew that they may not be coming home. It was a shared feeling. They had all felt it. The fear. The anticipation. It had been rolling off of them in waves for days. Everyone had finally managed to prepare themselves for it, siking themselve up in that time to deal with the possibility of their death. Crazed thoughts had been rattling through everyone's brains, listing off the many different scenarios that could end them forever. And while each one made the pit in their stomachs sink deeper and deeper, nothing could cause as much dread as those 5 words. 

There would be no jump tonight.


	7. PART 1

The longest paths lead into sunlight when they are paved with love.  
— Jenny Lee


	8. "DAY OF INFAMY"

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American Island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also  
launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our Nation.

As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defence.

But always will our whole Nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our people we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire

— President Franklin D. Roosevelt


	9. 01 The Nurse Corps

You belong to no one but yourself, and you know exactly where you're going.  
— Sister Julienne  
  


The hot afternoon sun bore down on her, beads of sweat dripped down the sides of her face as she swept the stable, lost deep in thought. Rosalie was used to working the farm for long periods of time and this was no exception, but it still didn't make it any more difficult or tiresome.

Usually, she'd have her older brother Richard and her twin Jamie to help her but as soon as the war between America and Japan was declared, they both signed up for the armed forces and were preparing to leave for basic training in a few days. So here she was, left to tend to the farm with only the help of her father.

"Rosie," her father's accented voice pulled her from her trance, "are you alright? You seem a bit distracted." He looked at her in concern.

"Oui papa, I uhhh... I just have a lot on my mind." Rosalie said. Her father gave her a warm smile and a pat on the shoulder before telling her to go up to the house and get ready for dinner.

After making her way up to the front porch, Rosie pulled off her muddy boots, wiped her hands on the legs of her overalls and walked inside. She made her way through the house to the set of stairs that lead to her and her siblings rooms. As soon as she got to the top she was bombarded by her firecracker of a younger sister.

"Rosaaaa, can you help me with my biology homework? Pleeeaaasssseeeee?" The girl chuckled, looking down at her sister, Beatrix.

"Trixie, shouldn't you be doing that on your own?" Rosie quipped, with a slight smirk.

"I tried and I got most of it done – Hey! Don't look at me like that, I did...but there's just a couple questions I don't understand." The young girl exclaimed with a huff, crossing her arms and pouting up her older sister. "Please?"

Rosa sighed, "Okaaay fine, I'll help you. Just let me get myself cleaned up first then I'll take a look." Elated with her sister's response, Trixie squealed out a rushed thank you before quickly bounding off back to her room. Rosa had always been very intelligent, managing to pick up skills and concepts quicker than most, especially when it came to science. This led to her being a volunteer at the local hospital, helping the nurses care for patients while learning the basics.

Rosa stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself up in her towel, she began to ponder once again, mulling over the idea that had been plaguing her mind for weeks. As a child she remembered listening to her mother's stories of the Great War, of how she became a nurse and saved so many lives and of how she met her father.

Then, a couple months ago, when the President had declared war on Japan, Rosie couldn't help but feel she was meant to be a part of it in some way, to help her country however and wherever she could, just like her mother had done. And now that her brothers had signed up, she felt more strongly about it than ever.

Unfortunately, there weren't many options for women; truck drivers, mechanics, code breakers just to name a few, none of those interested Rosalie in the slightest though. She had her heart set on one thing.

The Nurse Corps.

She was already working in a hospital and she had all of the basics down pat, so it made the most sense.

Her ambitions only flourished more once she saw the flyers advertising the Nurse Corps at the local recruitment office. They were asking for nurses, any women aged between 18 and 45, who were ready and able to help and Rosalie Marseille knew that was where she needed to be.

Shaking her head to try clear the thoughts, Rosie made her way to Beatrix's room and sat with her to begin the last of her homework, just as she promised. It didn't take them long and just as they had just finished answering the last question, they were interrupted by a voice.

"Mes chéris, c'est temps pour le dîner!" their mother, a short sweet-tempered woman with a warm smile, called from the kitchen. The girls made their way down the stairs, giggling and whispering about something, they were joined by their brothers who watched them with raised eyebrows before sharing a look and rolling their eyes.

"Richie sweetie, can you go tell your father that dinners ready please?"

"Yes mama." The young man said before wandering out of the house. Trixie and Jamie sat at the table, discussing his upcoming training. Rosa helped her mother bring the last few dishes over, they were quickly joined by Richard and their father and they all sat down to eat.

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Rosie zoned out and began thinking of the Nurse Corps again. She knew that was what she wanted, **no** , _needed_ to do but she had no idea how to bring it up with her parents, she could only hope that they would support her because her mind was made up and she was not backing down.

Rosie felt her heart rate increase slightly and a weight settle in her stomach, she gazed down at her fidgeting hands. She took a couple deep, shaky breaths and cleared her throat before speaking, "Ma, Pa, I have something to tell you. But before I begin, I want you to know that I have thought long and hard about this and my mind is made up," she paused, looking around the table to gauge everyone's reactions before continuing, "I'm going to join the Nurse Corps."

The immediate silence that followed was deafening. Charles and Mia eyed their daughter before sharing a look, neither of them was surprised, it was going to happen at some point, working in a hospital and all. They knew that. They also knew that once their daughters mind was made up, there was no changing it, not that they wanted too anyway. Jamie, on the other hand, was not happy.

"No." Rosie looked at him sharply. "What if something happens to you? What if-"

"Oh, would you shut ya trap Jamie, it's none of your business. Anyway, she'll only be a nurse, it's not like they'll put her on the front lines or anything." Richard rolled his eyes and smiled at his sister to show his support.

"None of my business? She's my twin, Richie! What if she gets shot or something? What happens then, huh?" he argued, looking furiously at their older brother. The others sat at the table watching the back and forth while Rosalie looked down at her lap silently, a little hurt that Jamie had so little faith in her.

"Boys, that's enough." Their father stated firmly, interrupting them before things could get too heated. "Jamie your sister is a smart girl, she's strong too. If she joins, she will be okay." Charles said, reassuring his youngest son. His wife, Mia, looked to the other twin now.

"Rosie, your father and I will support you in whatever you choose to do and if I'm being entirely honest mon amour, it really comes as no surprise to either of us that this is the path you've chosen for yourself." Mia chuckled, a sparkle of pride in her eyes as she looked at her daughter.

Rosa looked up at her parents happily and smiled, thankful they weren't angry. Her heart filled with joy and excitement, she had her parents blessing and support. This was all she ever could've asked for, now she just had to wait for her sister and twin's responses.

Trixie smiled at the older girl and gave her slight nod, signifying her support. Rosie then looked to Jamie expectantly, waiting for his reaction. He hadn't made a single sound since their parents interrupted him.

Jamie looked around the table at his family, his parents and siblings were ok with it. And Rosie, sweet Rosie...he could see the hurt and hope on her face. He sighed before speaking, "I think that, if you're sure and it's what you feel is right, then you should do it." The younger twin beamed at her brother. Jamie was still a bit apprehensive, but he knew Rosa and if she thought she could do it, then she could.

Come her 18th birthday, Rosalie was enrolled as a junior nurse in the United States Nurse Corps.

 **French Translations**  
oui papa = yes father  
mes chéris, c'est temps pour le dîner = my darlings, it is time for dinner  
mon amour = my love  
ma petite rose = my little rose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! So that was the first official chapter of Virago, I hope you liked it. I'm so excited to write this story, I've had this idea for almost a year now so it feels so surreal to finally be posting it. Also, I have a serious problem with writers block so please bare with me if there are any inconsistencies in post time or writing quality.
> 
> Just quickly, I thought I should mention that when I was doing my research for this chapter I found that in ww2 the nurse corps only accepted women between the ages of 21 and 45, so I changed the age limit slightly to fit my plot.
> 
> Anyway, I look forward to writing more in the future and hearing your feedback. Thank youuu xx✌🏻


	10. 02 The Letter

Oh, the things you can find, if you don't stay behind.  
– Dr. Seuss  
  


**June 22nd, 1942 - Nurse Corps Training Facility, California**

"Ladies, listen up please." The chatter around the room quieted down as the head nurse started speaking. "As you know, yesterday, after months of rigorous and hands-on training, was your final assessment. I am pleased to say that everyone in this room was successful, you are now fully qualified nurses in the United States Nurse Corps." The room filled with excited cheers and laughs once again, the head nurse just smiled fondly before continuing. "In the next few days, you will be receiving your postings and orders, they will be sent out to your rooms. In the meantime, you should relax. You have all earnt it. Congratulations and good luck!"

Rosalie smiled to herself, reflecting on her time in training, as she made her way out of the room with the other nurses, who were all buzzing with excitement and happiness. Her family would be so proud. Despite only leaving them two months ago, it felt like a lifetime. Rosie had learnt so much and her skills and knowledge had developed more than she could've ever dreamt of. She could only imagine how long it would've felt if she had started from the beginning.

Usually training in the Nurse Corps would've been six months but because she already had a background in nursing, Rosie only had to complete the final two months before she would be fully qualified.

Rosie continued to reminisce as she walked with the group, but before she could make it out the door, the head nurse stopped her.

"Nurse Marseille, I'd like to talk to you in my office please. It's a matter of upmost importance."

Rosie's glee died down, being replaced with a sense of foreboding as she made her way into Nurse Crane's office. She could tell something was up, but she had no idea what it could be. Had she done something wrong? Had something happened to one of her brothers? Rosalie gulped as she sat down, trying to clear all thoughts from her head. She looked at the woman in front of her, waiting for her to speak.

"Nurse Marseille, I understand that you were moved forward a couple months in your training."

"Yes, Ma'am. The lady at the recruitment office felt that I was too advanced to start at the beginning, so she assigned me to a group who had completed the same level of training as me." Rosie said softly, still unsure where this was going.

"Mm she was right to do so, you are an exceptional nurse," Nurse Crane said as she took a seat at her desk, "I must admit, I was quite impressed when you first came. You are attentive, dedicated and compassionate, all qualities that are needed to excel in this job. That is why I, and the higher ups, felt that you were needed...elsewhere." She stated, looking at the young nurse sat in front of her.

Needed elsewhere? The higher ups? Rosie's mind began racing. She didn't understand what Nurse Crane meant. Her hands started sweating as she shuffled in her seat, trying to find a more comfortable position. "M-ma'am, I'm not quite sure I understand. Am I getting my orders?"

"Of sorts." The older woman said hesitantly as she opened her desk drawer and retrieved a small, official looking envelope. "This came for you in the mail. Your parents will receive one too. I'd recommend opening it whilst you're alone..." Nurse Crane trailed off.

Rosalie took the envelope from the woman in front of her, said a quick thank you and made her way to the door. Before she could leave, Nurse Crane spoke again. "Oh, and Nurse Marseille, you'll need to respond soon, they are on a tight schedule."

And with that, Rosalie was out the door and rushing to her room. She closed the bedroom door behind her, quickly removed her shoes before sitting on her bed and placing the envelope in front of herself. Rosa stared at it for what felt like hours, the head nurse's words echoing through her mind. She had thought that Nurse Crane would provide some clarity to the contents of the mysterious letter in front of her, but all she had done was cause more confusion. They? Tight schedule? What had she gotten herself into?

Before long the curiosity became too much. Rosalie had to see what was in that envelope. Quickly snatching it off her duvet and tearing it open, she took the letter out, unfolded it and began inspecting the piece of paper. At the top there was an emblem that she didn't recognise. It looked like a screaming eagle.

Rosie's eyes wandered around the page more, taking in every bit of detail. From the emblem at the top, it seemed to be from the armed forces, or at least a branch. Her brow furrowed as she made her way down to the writing. It was addressed to her. Why would a branch of the United States Armed Forces be writing to _her_?

_To Miss Rosalie E. Marseille,_

_It is with the greatest honour and respect that I am writing to you. I am proud to say that you have been accepted into the United States Army, under the Airborne Division._

_By order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Commander in Chief of the United States Armed Forces, and General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, one nurse is to be selected and trained as a field combat medic in a branch of the armed forces._

_Due to your experience, skills and dedication as a nurse, you have been selected to partake in this opportunity._

_As of now, you have officially been reassigned to Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division as a Corporal and combat medic. You will report to Camp Toccoa, Georgia on Monday, 6th of July, where you will receive formal combat and medic training. You will complete this training to the best of your ability, failure to do so on any part will result in your immediate expulsion from the program. If you pass, you will become a certified paratrooper and be jumping behind enemy lines into active combat._

_The parachute infantry is a new concept in military history, and I believe that you, Miss R. E. Marseille, will help forge that concept into victory._

_Your train will leave on the 5th of July at 10:30am. I hope to see you soon. Good luck!_

_Sincerely,_

_Colonel Robert F. Sink,_  
_Commanding,_  
_506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division_

"Merde."

Rosie must've reread the letter hundreds of times before she believed it. The Army? N-no, she applied for the Nurse Corps...not the Army. What were they doing recruiting a woman anyway? It's unheard of, never been done before. Why now? Why her? Her heart sunk lower into her stomach as she finally processed what was happening.

Before she could stop herself, sobs erupted from her throat and she began shaking uncontrollably as tears poured down her cheeks. She didn't understand, this isn't what she wanted. What about her parents? Her siblings? Rosie thought back to Jamie's words the night she announced her plans to join the Nurse Corps. He was right, she should never have joined.

All of a sudden, her head began spinning as a clammy feeling overcame her body. The girl quickly jumped up from her spot on the bed and raced to the bathroom. Saliva pooled in her mouth as she leant over the toilet and started retching and spitting into the bowel. The sting of bile filled her throat and sobs mixed with coughs and gags in a nauseating symphony as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. A vile stench filled the air as Rosalie leant against the wall, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

What the hell was the paratroopers?

 **French Translations**  
merde = shit


	11. 03 Home

You must do the things you think you cannot do.  
— Eleanor Roosevelt  
  


Rosa inhaled deeply as she made her way up the stairs to her house. She thought that all of this army business would go away as soon as she got home. Part of her was holding onto the childish hope that this was all just some sick joke or prank, that it would disappear as soon as she crossed over the threshold of the wooden doorway. But it hadn't and when Rosie walked into her house for the first time in months, everything was still fresh in her mind.

The first thing she noticed was just how silent and cold it was. There was no laughter or yelling coming from her brothers in the living room, who would usually be wrestling or play fighting. There was no excited, young girl running up to her older sister, giggling and telling her about her day or begging her to help with homework. Rosie couldn't hear her mother's soft voice, singing a tune from the kitchen whilst cooking dinner for the family, or her father whistling the same tune as he tended to the cattle outside. For the first time in forever, the Marseille household was still.

The second thing she noticed was the light seeping into the hallway from the family room, and the hushed voices of her parents to go along with it. Rosie got closer and closer and their voices grew louder, she was now able to make out parts of their conversation. As she walked into the living room and greeted her parents, they stood in front of their eldest daughter with looks of relief. They greeted Rosie with kisses and hugs filled with solicitude and faked composure.

The third thing Rosalie noticed that night was her mother's tear-stained cheeks and a letter in her hand. An eagle emblem at the top and a Colonels signature at the bottom, it didn't take long for her to figure out what it was. All she could do was give her mother a reassuring smile, which probably resembled a grimace more than anything. For the first couple of minutes, no one spoke, not sure if they could ever find the right words.

Then, Rosa's mother sighed, "Oh my sweet rose, I always knew I'd have daughter who would follow in my footsteps." She smiled sadly, and tears welled up in her eyes again. She cleared her throat and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, "I just didn't expect it to be like this."

Rosalie's parents were born in France but had moved to America during the aftermath of the war in order to escape poverty and begin a better life. During the Great War, Mia had been a field nurse with the French and Charles was a lieutenant in the French Army. The first time they met, she had been treating him for a bullet wound after the Battle of the Somme and it was instantly love at first sight.

They stayed in contact till the end of the war where they eventually married, had their first child and then immigrated. While Mia had grown up in the city and Charles was just a simple farm boy, these two people from completely different walks of life manged to find each other in the chaos of war and shape their own peace.

"C'est d'accord ma, Je sais c'est ne idéal pas, mais nous allons passer à travers cette." Rosalie said, voice quavering slightly as she grabbed her mother's hand and caressed her knuckles with her thumb. It was hard to see her own mother like this, so miserable. Rosalie couldn't bear the thought of how she'd react if she didn't make it home.

A lump began to form in her throat, and she felt a warm sting in her eyes. Rosie thought she had finished with all the crying in the days after receiving that godforsaken letter, but obviously she was wrong. She didn't want to go; she didn't want to be on the frontlines getting shot at all day. To say the young girl was terrified would be an understatement.

Rosie spent the rest of the night in the living room with her parents, wrapped in their arms as they all shared a tearful conversation about what was to come.

A couple days later, Rosalie was sat on the windowsill in her living room, a book laid forgotten in her lap as she looked out to the farmland, watching the lightning dance across the sky. Droplets of rain trickled down the glass pane, almost as if they were chasing each other. The sound of the radio was almost drowned out by the pitter patter of rain hitting the roof and the thunder shaking the earth. Rosie had been advised to spend time with her family before she left for Georgia for basic training. Miraculously, she managed to time her return perfectly with her brothers leave from their own training, so they arrived the day after her.

When the boys were told that their baby sister was going to be in the army, against her will, they were furious. Richie had threatened to go down to DC and talk to Roosevelt himself, in the moment exaggeration of course, but it still made Rosa laugh a little to think about. Jamie hadn't been as...expressive with his anger, but Rosa could tell this didn't sit right with him. The reaction that had gutted her the most though was Trixie's. As soon as she was told that her older sister – her idol and best friend – was going to be on the frontline she dropped to the floor, sobbing as she clung to Rosalie, begging her not to go, begging their father to do something. It had taken Rosie hours to calm Beatrix down that day, and it would be a day that she would never forget.

At first, Rosie hated the idea too, horrified at it in fact. She never signed up for the Army, and she most definitely never wanted to be in active combat, surrounded by men who would treat her differently based on her gender. But over the last few days at home, Rosie had more time to herself to think about it. She also had her twin to confide in. Though it took a lot of time and thought, Rosie's attitude towards the opportunity had changed.

All of a sudden Rosie was snatched away from her thoughts as Jamie entered the room and sat beside her. As she marked her page in her book and then placed it on the coffee table in front of her, Rosa's twin moved closer to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked quietly.

"Oui, it is." She assured him, squeezing his hand comfortingly. Jamie looked at his sister with sadness and pride, she had a big heart and an even bigger urge to help others, even if it came at the cost of her own health.

"Someone chose me, Jamie. God? The President? I don't know but whoever it was felt that those men need me and that I am the best for the job. So, this is what I need to do."

It wasn't her choice, and it wasn't what she had originally wanted for herself, but Rosalie had been given an opportunity and she would be damned if she didn't try.

 **French Translations**  
c'est d'accord ma = it's okay ma  
Je sais c'est ne idéal pas, mais nous allons passer à travers cette = I know it's not ideal, but we'll get through this  
Oui = yes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So that's the third chapter done. I hope you're enjoying it. This is the first real book I've written so I'm a little nervous for how is going to go. All feedback is welcome! ☺️


	12. 04 Au Revoir

It isn't where you came from. It's where you're going that counts.  
— Ella Fitzgerald  
  


**July 5th, 1942, 10:15am**

The car ride to the train station was long and tense. Rosie had been fiddling with her hands the whole way, thinking about what would happen over the next couple of months. Her sister and brothers were sat next to her, talking. Rosie could tell that they were trying to take their minds off of her departure. Her parents, in the front, were also talking. No one in the Marseille family wanted her to leave, she didn't really either, but Rosie had a job to do.

They all stepped out of the car one by one, Charles helped Rosie with her bags before they all walked to the platform, waiting for her train. She sucked in air before stepping forward and wrapping her sister tightly in her arms, trying to forget about this stupid war, even if it was just for a moment. Trixie's lip quivered as she pulled away and looked into Rosalie's eyes. She didn't want her sister to leave. Tears clouded her vision as she said her goodbyes.

"I'll miss you. Make sure to tell me about all the cute boys you meet." Trixie whispered, her voice cracking as a small, weak laugh followed.

"Will do, Trix." Rosie answered as she pulled her sister in for another hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, Rosie." Trixie answered as the two girls pulled back from each other. Rosa then turned to her twin brother, Jamie. She walked to him and pulled him into a hug, a few tears escaping her eyes. He looked down at her with his own red eyes before burying his face into her long, brown hair. He wasn't ready to let go just yet.

"I want you to do this. Prove to those men that you are just as, if not more, capable than they are. I know you can." He said strongly as he held her tight in his arms. "You're a Marseille woman, and my sister, the toughest out there. Don't take any crap from them, okay?" Rosie nodded, afraid that if she spoke, she would break.

"I love you, Jamie. Don't forget to tell me how the Marine Corps is." He chuckled at her before releasing her from his arms and kissing her forehead.

"Don't worry, I will. I love you too." Rosie smiled up at him before moving onto her eldest brother. Richie hugged her and kissed her head. He pulled back and put his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes.

"I love you. Show them..." he hesitated, "you show them what it's like growing up on a farm with brothers." He managed to get out with a slight chuckle. "And promise me that you'll come back to us."

Rosie never liked making promises she couldn't keep, but there was something about the look in his eyes, the way they were glassed over with tears, the way she had never seen this expression on his face before, that made her say what she said next. "I promise, I'll do both...I love you." He gave her slight salute. She giggled a little and gave a bright smile back. Then she turned to her father.

"Je t'aime ma petite rose. Stay strong and true to yourself." He said, pulling his eldest daughter into a loving embrace. He had experienced war, the noise, the blood...the death, and now his own daughter was going to experience the exact same thing. He couldn't bear the thought. He started to get choked up as he held Rosie in his arms, trying his best to memorise every last detail before she disappeared for what was going to be years, or maybe even forever. Her smile, her slight dimples, her long wavy brown hair and the beautiful chocolate eyes that she got from her mother.

"Je t'aime aussi papa. Je promets je vais." Rosie said as she stepped back from her father's arms. Finally, she moved onto her mother. The woman who was always there for her and always believed in her.

"Oh, ma douce fille, ce n'était pas ce que nous avions en tête, n'est-ce pas?" She whispered with a chuckle and a sweet smile.

"Non je suppose que ce n'était pas." Rosie giggled, wiping tears from her eyes before pulling her mother into a hug. "I love you mama."

"I love you too, Rosie." The two French women choked on sobs as they cried into each other's arms.

"Train 50 to Georgia, leaving in 3 minutes!" A call bleared over the speakers, cutting the Marseille family's goodbyes short. Rosalie grabbed her bags from the ground and walked towards the train. She sighed sadly, giving a gentle smile and wave to her family before making her way onto the train for the long journey ahead.

Usually, most recruits would have had family _and_ friends to see them off, but Rosa didn't have any friends. She was a loner at school, the shy, smart girl no one wanted to talk to, she didn't mind it though; preferring the company of her family over strangers. The only part she didn't quite enjoy was the bullying, although, she was used to it, so it didn't bother her all that much. Either way, it was safe to say that she was fairly prepared for what the men would throw at her.

For the rest of the train ride, Rosie held in her tears, trying not to think of her family as she left the station. There were other recruits on the train, some were even soldiers already, all men of course but she wouldn't let that phase her. Jamie's words ran through her mind as she looked out the window at the passing scenery. _"Prove to those men that you are just as capable. I know you can."_ He had said. _"Don't take any crap from them."_ Rosie knew that the men at Toccoa most likely wouldn't accept her, they would probably hassle and bully her, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. She was there to do a job, just like them, and they'd have to deal with it.

Rosa fell asleep shortly after that and woke up around 10 minutes before the train arrived at the station. When the whistle blew, she stood up and gathered her belongings, making her way off the train and over to the bus that would take her to Camp Toccoa. She walked onto the hot, dingy bus, ignoring the whistles and snide comments of the other recruits as she sat down. Head held high and armed with her brother's words, Rosalie was ready to face every single man in the 506th, big or small, she was ready to prove them wrong.

**French Translations**  
Je t'aime ma petite rose = I love you my little rose  
Je t'aime aussi papa. Je promets je vais = I love you to papa, I promise I will  
Oh, ma douce fille, ce n'était pas ce que nous avions en tête, n'est-ce pas? = Oh, my sweet daughter, this wasn't what we had in mind, was it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's part 1 finished, I'm so excited to finally start writing the actual show and all the characters. I hope you've all enjoyed the first parts of Rosalie's story as much as I have. Thank you xx


	13. PART 2

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  
— Lao-tzu  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


——————————————————  
——

_Tell me the story of the brave and the cowardly, the young and the old. Tell me the story of leaders that shirked from duty, of children who fought wars. Tell me the story of those who grew up on sweat and blood and suffering, those who inhaled pain and exhaled lies. Tell me the story of a small girl cradling the corpse of her brother, of a young man fighting for his every breath._

_Tell me the story of war, without the battles or the glory or the winning and the losing. Tell me the story of those who lost it all, of those who didn't keep fighting. Tell me the story of the bodies in the closet and the people who found them afterwards. Tell me the story of death and destruction, of broken buildings and shattered glass._

_Tell me the story of the gravediggers, and the field doctors, and the generals, and the captains, and the medics and the sergeants and the lieutenants and the privates._

_Tell me the story of the survivors who have forgotten what it feels like to live._

_——  
——————————————————_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER
> 
> The passage in italics is from Ao3 user, @SivlerMoon08's story "All of Me". I'm not sure if they wrote it or if they found it somewhere so the credit goes to whoever the original creator is. I also changed a couple words to better fit the context of this story (e.g. commanders to captains, admirals to medics)


	14. ~1~




	15. 05 Camp Toccoa

You cannot change what you are, only what you do.  
— Philip Pullman  
  


Anxiety tightened her stomach, twisting it into knots as she got off the bus at Camp Toccoa. She studied everything around her, taking in the place that would be her home for the next few months. Rosie could see rows upon rows of large tents, most likely the recruit's barracks. There were men running through a large obstacle course and others shooting rifles in the firing range. She could also see a few men walking around in green dress uniforms.

As she made her way through the gates, she tried not to pay much attention to the men ogling and catcalling her.

"Excuse me miss," A man approached her, "are you Rosalie Marseille?" he asked. Rosie could see him trying not to let his own judgement get in the way.

"Yes, I am." Rosie said smiling, trying not to let her irritation show.

"Colonel Sink would like to see you. Follow me please."

Rosie followed the man through the camp, ignoring the impulse to roll her eyes at the men who stopped and stared or gave her sideward glances while whispering and laughing to their friends. Eventually, they got to the main building where the man led her inside and left her at Colonel Sink's door.

She knocked softly, hoping she wasn't bothering the man inside. When she received a muffled acknowledgment, she opened the door and walked into the office. There were four men, none of whom she recognised.

"Ah Corporal Marseille, I'm glad that you could make it." The old man standing behind the desk said. That must've been Colonel Sink. He had an intimidating presence, not in a bad way though, just in the way that he commanded respect wherever he went. Rosie could tell he held years of experience. She greeted the Colonel with a small nervous smile before looking around the room at the other three men.

"Thank you, sir, I am too." She replied timidly.

"Corporal Marseille, these are Lieutenants Sobel, Winters and Nixon of Easy company." Colonel sink introduced, gesturing to each man respectively.

"Lieutenant Sobel, this is Corporal Marseille. She will be joining Easy."

Sobel's face hardened as he looked at the woman in front of him, he did not want her here. Rosie gulped as she recognised that, hoping she hadn't already made a bad impression.

"But sir...she's a woman." Sobel stated in disgust and disbelief.

"Yes Lieutenant, we are aware. This comes straight from Washington." Sink responded.

Washington huh? Her name got that high up? Rosie was quite surprised and impressed.

"She is to receive no special treatment or pampering. She has been made aware that if she fails to meet _all_ requirements for the Airborne, she is to be sent back to the Nurse Corps." Sink explained to the three lieutenants.

"Winters, Nixon. Can you please show Corporal Marseille to her barracks?" Winters, Nixon and Rosie saluted the Colonel before walking out of his office. Unlike Sobel, neither of these men seemed to loathe her instantly. Winters, a tall ginger man, had smiled at her kindly when she first entered the office and Nixon, a shorter man with dark hair, had just given her a nod. Though very little, these reactions were the complete opposite of Sobel's complete neglect of her presence when she had first opened the door and the cold, piercing gaze she received from him when they were formally introduced. Rosie hoped that she would be able to get at least some of her ranking officers to respect her, at least then she might have an ally or two if things went pear shaped with the men.

"Corporal, I just thought you should know that we weren't able to get you your own quarters, so you'll be sharing with the men." Winters informed her.

Nixon must've picked up on her worry because he calmly reassured her. "Don't worry kid, we've made sure a privacy curtain has been put up. You won't have to worry about the men taking peeks." Rosie just nodded at this and followed after them, matching their speed the best she could with her short legs.

Camp Toccoa was full of volunteers, men who wanted to be with the best. While many companies had already started training, there were others that weren't yet full. Easy company was one of these. Each company was made up of a headquarters section and three to six platoons. In each platoon there were three seven-man rifle squads and a machine gun attached to each, a mortar squad and a medic. Two out of the three platoons that had been created for Easy company were full, all positions were taken, and they had all the men they needed. Except for 2nd platoon, which had an open position for a medic.

The men of 2nd platoon didn't pay much attention to their missing medic. All they saw was an empty bed near the end of their barracks, with a neatly folded uniform on top, a rather small pair of boots and an empty footlocker at the end. They didn't think much about it until they started hearing the rumours. Some men from Dog and Fox companies claimed there was a female on base and apparently, she was going to be a medic. The men just brushed it off at first, thinking they were lying, but their minds started to fill with doubt when they walked in on some orderlies installing a privacy curtain around the empty bed.

Rosie's feet crunched through the hard dirt as they made their way to her billet. She tried to cover her identity by pushing her helmet further down her head, but it didn't work. Men all over the camp where sneering and yelling at her, questioning what a _broad_ was doing in the paratroopers. Rosa rolled her eyes, she wanted to yell a few sarcastic responses back, but she knew she probably shouldn't with her officers around. The men at Toccoa didn't know why she was there, or that she wasn't actually as useless as they thought. They also didn't care that she wasn't there by choice. They would never ask anyway because none of that mattered to them. The only thing that mattered was the long braids sticking out the back of a helmet and the small, petite frame of a young woman who they deemed unworthy and undeserving of her position. Rosie decided to just keep her head down and continue following the two lieutenants. She hoped the men in her company wouldn't be like that.

Her stomach filled with butterflies as they approached a wooden building with 'E2' on the side. Walking up to the stairs the lieutenants stopped and turned to face Rosie.

"Unfortunately, this is where we have to leave you. Your bed is the one right at the back. I look forward to working with you Corporal. See you later." Winters said kindly, Rosie could tell he was genuine.

"Good luck in there." Nixon said before he and Winters walked off.

His words had stuck with Rosie. Good luck? Did he think she needed it? She breathed in, wiping her sweaty hands on her pants before plucking up the courage to walk up the steps to the door. She stopped for a moment, pulling her helmet from her head and tucking it under her arm before reaching for the handle. As her hand came into contact with the metal, Rosie hesitated, still trying to prepare herself to meet part of her company. With a new burst of confidence, she pushed open the door to her barracks and stepped in. She froze, her face drained of all colour and her newfound confidence disappeared without a trace as all the men in the room stopped their conversations and turned to the door.

"Uhm, hello." Rosa stuttered out cautiously while giving a little wave. No one knew what to say after that. For the men, it was the shock of the rumours being true. There really was a woman on base, and she was in their company. For Rosa, it was the fear and embarrassment of being the only woman in the whole damn US Army.

Realising she wouldn't be getting a response anytime soon; Rosie brushed their scandalised looks aside and quietly made her way to the empty bed at the end of the room. She could feel every man's gaze on her back, eyes piercing through her skin as she set her bags down and began unpacking all her belongings into the provided trunk.

"You lost, darlin'?" One finally spoke up, calling from a couple spaces down. Rosie's cheeks flared red as she felt her breath quicken and a hot-cold tingly feeling filling her head. Memories of school and all the bullying came back to her. No, these men were not children and she wasn't back at school. This was different.

"Nurse Corps is on the other side of the US!" Another hollered at her. The room filled with laughs and sniggers, the men began whispering about her and they weren't trying to be discrete either. Rosa didn't know what to say or do, she was completely frozen. She had promised her brother and herself that she wouldn't take any crap from these men, but she was already failing. She decided then and there that she wouldn't let these men get to her. Rosie wouldn't allow herself to become another victim.

She cleared her throat loudly, silencing the men's jokes. "Colonel Sink told me to report here, this is my barrack. I'm your new field medic." She announced confidently, following it with a smile. The men stared at her, mouths hung wide open, until one shot up from his bed and made his way over to her.

"But you're a woman!" he snarled.

"Yes, I am aware." Rosie confirmed, deadpan, before turning back to her luggage. The men started talking quietly amongst themselves, looking over at their new medic as she continued unpacking her bags and organising the stuff already laid out for her. It was quiet, the loudest sound in the room was Rosie pulling things from her bags, fabric brushing fabric as she placed them in her footlocker or her medic satchel. She could feel everyone's eyes on her again, but she brushed it off. Rosie knew this would happen. Her features remained guarded and her body language closed off. It was fascinating really. Many of the men wondered how a woman could end up in the army but the question on everyone's mind was how long was she going to last?

That night at dinner, Rosie sat alone. Everyone took notice of the tiny woman sitting by herself. She stood out like a sore thumb and that made her vulnerable, a target of sorts for the men. The man who noticed it most though, was Eugene Roe, one of Easy company's other medics. He watched in what could only be described as sympathy and disgust as the woman was taunted and heckled by men. He was angry that no one was standing up for her but what frustrated him most was watching as she just sat there and took it all.

"Hey princess, you lost?"

"Shouldn't you be in the kitchen?"

"Sorry darlin, you won't find a husband here."

"You got an awful nice mouth, why don't you come by after dinner and put it to good use?"

That was it, Rosalie had had enough of their disgusting comments. Yes, being a woman meant men would say obscene things to and about her from time to time, but never had she experienced anyone being this open and public about it. Finally getting fed up with the abuse, Rosie stood from her chair quickly, letting it screech against the floor, before grabbing her tray and tossing the leftovers in the bin in silence. She then made her way to the exit, angrily pushing past the group of men who had encircled her table and flipping them off on her way out, leaving a stunned silence in her wake. Once she was clear of the mess hall she stormed into the barracks, threw herself down on her bed and crossed her arms, grumbling about how shitty men were.

Slowly, the men began quietly trickling in after they had finished their food. No one acknowledged or looked in the young medic's direction, all opting to just talk quietly to each other. As everyone prepared for bed, Rosie shut her curtain, changed out of her uniform and went to sleep with only one thought.

Well, that was shit wasn't it?


	16. 06 Friends and Foe

It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not.  
— Andre Gide  
  


It had been a week since Rosalie arrived at Toccoa and much like her first day, she had spent all that time alone. No one would go near her, not even her own company, except for Winters and Nixon of course, who would smile and greet the girl whenever they saw her.

The training was difficult too, and it was only made worse by the fact that the men hated her. They ostracised and bullied her and while most would just glare and make snide comments whenever she walked by, there were some men who would push and shove her, block her way, and trip her during PT.

Almost every training session, Rosa would end up flat on her back, winded from the fall caused by one of them. The men did everything in their power to make sure she'd fail and yet, to the annoyance of all of them, especially Sobel, Rosa was still there. She never quit, because if there was one thing Rosalie Marseille excelled at, it was getting back up.

Lieutenant Sobel hated Corporal Marseille. Women shouldn't be in the army; she was only going to bring his company down and get men killed.

Rosie hated him too. He'd scream at her, targeting her the most out of everyone and usually belittling or insulting her in some way. "Are you going to cry!" he'd yell every time she fell. "You're pathetic, you're going to get my men killed!"

It pissed her off, but she took it. She took everything they threw at her because she had a job to do and she knew she was meant to be here. They could hate her all they wanted but she wasn't going to quit. Sobel could scream at her, degrade her, even humiliate her for all she cared but he would _never_ get rid of her. Even when he treated Rosa less than human, it didn't bother her. She wasn't looking for Sobel's approval or respect, that didn't matter to her, especially when she had none for him. Rosie was here to stay, and they'd all have to deal with it. 

If Rosie was being honest though, being on the outside was lonely, and while she was used to it by now, she had never been this hatedbefore. It certainly didn't help that her reputation around base was...less than desirable. Since her arrival, rumours about Rosalie had spread like wildfire. From her sleeping her way into the Airborne, all the way to her being a German spy, she couldn't escape them. Most actually amused Rosie but there were still some that hurt. On more than one occasion, usually late at night or when Rosa was alone, she cried.

*****

Rosie often had some trouble keeping up with the men physically, as she thought she would. So every day, once training had finished and everyone had gone to shower and relax before dinner, Rosie would stay on the field and run through the obstacle course over and over again, trying to perfect it. She predominantly focused on the wall as that was where she had the most trouble but even after attempting it to the point of almost ripping some of her fingernails off, she still was never able to make it over. Due to her height and lack of upper body strength Rosie found it difficult to propel herself up and over the top so she would do push ups, pull ups, and pretty much any other exercises that would improve her upper body strength.

Rosa continued her routine for weeks, she started to gain more muscle, her body was toned, and her cardio was better than it ever had been. Finally, by the start of her third week at Toccoa, she was managing to maintain pace with the men in her company. This didn't go unnoticed by Easy either, many of the men would watch as she persisted, training hard, failing and falling quite often but always getting straight back up afterwards. They were impressed and several men started to realise that maybe the young medic was actually serious about this after all.

Through her required medical training — for the ex-nurse it was just revision more than anything — Rosie had met Eugene Roe, Easy Company's other medic. He was a very sweet and level-headed man, never joining in with any of the harassment towards her. Rosie liked him and he was easy to talk to. Gene, who was fairly quiet, seemed to open up around Rosie too and they bonded over the fact they were both French.

*****

It was after a particularly gruelling day of dodging feet and elbows and listening to Sobel's abuse that Rosa had first met Eugene Roe. After the company had been dismissed, all the medics made their way to the lecture hall for medical training. Rosie had just sat down, preparing herself for another activity alone when Eugene walked up and asked if he could join her. At first Rosie was taken aback, this was the first time anyone in her company had actively made the decision to talk to her, but she could tell he was very genuine, so she agreed.

As he sat down, Eugene began talking. "Marseille, isn't it? I'm Eugene Roe, I'm one of Easy's other medics." Rosie smiled at the man in front of her. She recognised him from training, he was one of the only men in the company who didn't either try to sabotage her or completely ignore her.

"Yeah. My names Rosalie, but I usually just go by Rosie or Rosa." The girl answered with a soft smile, her dimples appearing on her cheeks. In that moment, Eugene could tell that the girl in front of him was really as gentle as she first appeared and her cold attitude during training was just a front that she put up to protect herself. 

"Well, it's nice to finally meet you, Rosie." Eugene replied, as he held out his hand for her to shake.

"It's nice to meet you too, Gene." She said, accepting his offer.

The two medics spoke for a while before turning their attention to the front of the room when the instructor began speaking. After roughly two hours of writing down and practicing some first aid concepts, the class was over. As the duo got up from their seats and exited the room, they struck up another conversation.

"Hey, I noticed you're pretty good at this stuff." Gene commented.

"I mean you'd hope so, I was in the Nurse Corps before coming here." Rosie chuckled at his comment. Gene looked at the tiny medic next to him in surprise. No one in the company knew where she came from or what she did before arriving, she never told anyone, but he supposed that was because no one had ever asked her.

"Nurse Corps, huh? I guess I shoulda' figured that one out." Gene smirked as the duo laughed and continued their conversation.

"Uhm Rosie...I was actually wondering if you could help me with something." Gene said quietly.

"Yeah, sure. What is it?" Rosie answered cheerfully, happy to help her new friend.

"Uh, I...finding the vein for plasma...I ain't so good at that." He admitted. Rosie knew something like this would happen, their instructor was decent but he obviously didn't have much experience because he usually glossed over things like this.

"Okay sure, I can definitely show you how to do it. After dinner sound good to you?" She inquired. The man agreed to the time and then the two medics continued their way to the mess hall for dinner.

Rosie suggested after dinner because she had assumed that they would go their separate ways then meet up at the med tent after finishing, so she was beyond shocked when Gene followed her into the mess hall and sat at the same table as her. She was ecstatic really. Rosie smiled through the entire dinner, especially when they both got so lost in conversation as she explained and demonstrated the plasma vein to her fellow medic that she didn't even notice or care about all of the stares and whispers around her. All Rosie cared about was that for the first time since her arrival at Camp Toccoa, she had a friend.

Rosie remembered that day fondly. After that, Gene continued to sit with her during meals and the medic duo ended up sticking together throughout most of their training exercises too. Rosie finally wasn't alone anymore.

*****

It was about a month and a half into training when the rest of Easy started to let up on her a little. Most of the men had stopped hounding her so much and trying to trip her during PT. There were even some, like Darrell Powers and David Webster, who would occasionally smile and wave when they saw her and encouraged her during training. Rosa was finally starting to get through to the men and she was glad for it. No matter how much she didn't want to admit it, Rosie wasn't sure how long she could've kept going if the men had continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. I tried to do something a little different with it because I've noticed that in a lot of the BoB fics I've read all the Easy company boys start liking the girl oc straight away. I always felt that because of the time period BoB is set in, as well as society's view on women at the time, that the men wouldn't be so friendly if a woman did actually join. I also haven't seen many fics written like this so I thought it'd be interesting to do a different and maybe a more realistic, take on it.
> 
> I also originally had Ralph Spina in this chapter but I realised that he wasn't a Toccoa man so I removed him to keep as much accuracy as possible


	17. 07 Currahee

The one who falls and gets up is so much stronger than the one who never fell.  
— Unknown  
  


It was a day like any other. Easy company was lined up and waiting in the middle of a Georgian summer for Sobel to arrive and revoke half, if not all, of the company's weekend passes. Rosie was sweating like a pig in her uniform and she tried not to itch under her helmet strap. The helmet barely fit her head, so she often had to wear it strapped up, unlike the men in her company. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lieutenant Nixon smack the back of his neck. Most likely a mosquito. They were everywhere in Georgia and they usually caused a lot of problems when the men were trying to focus.

"You people are at the position of attention!" Sobel barked as he came racing around the corner. Everyone could tell he was in a bad mood today, well more so than usual. Rosie no longer jumped at his yelling like she used to, she wondered if he had given her permanent hearing loss with the number of times he had screamed, full volume, into her ears. She kept a neutral expression, trying not to smirk or laugh. He looked like an overgrown duck, waddling his way over to the company.

Sobel began his inspection, stalking down the lines trying to find non-existent infractions with each man. Rosie listened as he terrorised men for stupid things. Soldier after solider got their passes revoked. He even taunted Malarkey for his last name. Private Bullshit he had called him. He had moved onto Joseph Liebgott afterwards.

"Rusty bayonet Liebgott. You wanna kill Germans?" Sobel asked him.

"Yes sir."

"Not with this." He chastised. Sobel's eyes scanned the company for a new target and when he caught sight of Rosie, he turned tail and headed straight for her. He got right in Rosa's face and started questioning her.

"Name."

"Marseille, Rosalie E., sir." She responded quickly, holding up her rifle for inspection. Despite being a medic Rosie still needed to pass rifle training in order to become a paratrooper.

"Is that hair I see sticking out of your helmet, **Private**?" He questioned, emphasising the incorrect rank and gesturing to her long braids. Wow he couldn't even be bothered to give her the respect of getting her rank right.

"No excuse, sir." Rosie answered, biting her tongue to stop a sarcastic comment from slipping out.

"It's too long. I don't care if you have to tie it up or cut it, but I want it gone by next training session. And if it isn't, I'll shave your head myself." He yelled. What? It had never been a problem before. Fucking asshole. Rosie thought he would've been done with her, but he continued to search for something else to pick on.

"Weren't you told not to be a distraction to the men, **Private**." There it was again, the wrong rank. Sobel's intentional undermining of what little authority she had. He was baiting her, looking for a reaction.

"Yes sir." She answered calmly.

"Then why are you standing in front of them. Do you want them to look at you?"

"No sir, I'm standing with the other medics, sir." She explained. What was he playing at?

"Pass revoked, move to the back."

"Yes sir. And sir, it's corporal, not private." She said defiantly before moving out of formation and joining up the back. Rosie knew he couldn't reprimand her for correcting him, every recruit was well within their rights to correct their CO if they didn't address them by their proper rank. Sobel knew that too. So, in a last-ditch attempt to regain some control of the situation and get the last word, he reverted to belittling her.

"Oh, and Marseille, the next time you dare think about being a distraction, at least make sure my men get _every_ part." He snarled.

Ouch. That one stung a bit. Rosie bit her lip and clenched her jaw. Sobel's parting remark had struck a nerve. He had insulted her many times before, calling her useless and a waste of space, even a disappointment to her family, the airborne and her entire county, but never had he gone as far as feeding into the rumours and indirectly calling her a whore. Rosie blinked several times, trying to push back the tears that had unbiddenly gathered in her eyes. Pull yourself together woman. Now is not the time to cry, especially in front of him. Do not let Sobel win.

"I will not take this rusty piece of shit to war," he yelled, walking out the front of the company, holding up Liebgott's bayonet, "and I will not take you in your condition!" He finished by throwing it to the ground. "Now, thanks to these men and woman and their infractions, every man who had a weekend pass, has lost it." Everyone let out a quiet groan at that. Not again. "Change into your PT gear, we're running Currahee!"

After Winters and the other Lieutenants had dismissed their platoons, everyone raced to their barracks to get changed. No one wanted to be reprimanded again. Rosie quickly took off her OD's and replaced them with the standard issue training shorts and shirt, then she re-tied her boots. While the shirt was pretty well fitting and comfortable, the shorts were not. They were tight, sat weirdly on her hips and they often rode up Rosie's thighs while she ran, causing chafing and the uncomfortable feeling of every man in a 10-foot radius staring at her bare legs. It was safe to say that the uniforms provided to her were not suited for a woman's body.

Rosie could see Perconte and Martin arguing over his pants, everyone knew that what Sobel had gotten him for was bullshit but it still didn't stop some of the men being angry. Then, Lipton came into the barracks, telling them to hurry up and move out. Everyone began making their way out when Rosie noticed a young private who hadn't gotten up from his bed or changed into PT gear. She continued to move on, seeing as Lipton was already over there, questioning him but Rosie realised what was happening. He didn't want to be there anymore. She couldn't blame him either.

Rosie fell in line with Eugene as the company walked down the road towards the mountain. They smiled at each other and Gene was about to ask if she was alright when a shout from up ahead cut him off.

"Oh, Easy Company!" It was Dog company. "Eh, while you're running, don't worry, we'll take your dames to the movies for ya!" The man yelled again.

Liebgott sneered at the group. "Yeah good, they need some female company!" he hollered.

"Hey lil lady. Why don't you come with us? Bet you could use the company of some real men for a change." The group laughed even louder.

"No thanks, I wouldn't want to catch a disease from one of you mutts." Rosie called, her voice carrying over the jeers of the other men. Surprisingly, Easy company let out a laugh at that and Rosie giggled too. The boys took off, running up behind and nocking the caps off the men of Dog company, which only made her giggle more as she saw their irritated looks. Her and Gene ran after the boys, she was careful not to bump into anyone who wasn't from Easy.

Running up Currahee itself wasn't that difficult, especially now that Rosie had done it so many times. There were still a few stray elbows and ankles that seemed to try and trip her on occasion, but she usually managed to dodge them. The thing that made it nightmarish though, was Sobel. He yelled even louder and more viciously when the company ran up the infamous mountain, he knew it was where most recruits would wash out.

Rosie was running alongside Powers and Talbert. Her legs were hurting, and her breathing had quickened. Currahee was tiring but not impossible and Rosie was able to handle it pretty well due to all her extra training. Much to the dismay of Sobel of course.

"You look tired Marseille!" he barked at her. "Why don't you go home? You're a failure. A woman. You'll never get your jump wings!"

Rosie's nostrils flared but she kept quiet. She was angry, there was no denying that, especially after what he said during the inspection, but she wasn't going to give in that easily.

Sometime during the run, a man up ahead stumbled into a pothole and twisted his ankle. He cried out and began limping, slowing down enough for Rosie to catch up and steady him. It was Warren Muck. She was about to wrap his arm around her shoulders and support him the rest of the way when Sobel yelled.

"Do not help that man! Do not help that man! We do not stop!"

Rosie shot him an apologetic look and he waved it off. "It's okay." he panted.

Insulting and belittling her was one thing, but to completely stop her from doing her job was an entirely different matter. Muck was one of Sobel's men and he was injured, he should've allowed a medic to give him attention. That man truly disgusted her.

"You have thirteen minutes to get to the top of this mountain if you wanna serve in the paratroopers!" Sobel shouted. "Hi-ho, Silver!" and with that he ran off ahead of the group.

"Hi-ho silver my ass." Rosie growled quietly.

The formation broke as men started sprinting to make it to the top. By now, Rosa was fatigued and puffed but out of pure spite for their CO, she weaved her way through a group of men and sprinted to the top. She touched the marble statue and as she ran past Sobel on her way back down, she shot him the biggest and most joyful smile she could muster, winked and then yelled "HI-HO SILVER!"

Men all throughout the company hooted and laughed. All inspired and motivated by their tiny medic's actions and the look on Sobel's face as a result, they sprinted up the mountain harder and faster than ever before.

Rosie was among some the first to arrive back at camp. She dropped to the ground, lying on her back as her chest heaved up and down. She laughed as she thought about what happened. She couldn't believe she just did that.

"Jesus Christ kid," Bill Guarnere panted as he dropped next to her, "that was fucking brilliant."

She wheezed out another laugh as she looked over to him and smiled. She was stunned that he had even sat next to her, let alone praised her but Rosie wasn't going to let that get in the way of possibly making peace with another member of Easy. "Thanks," she smiled, "I'm just thankful we have lectures tomorrow because I'm sure as hell gonna be sore."

Bill laughed and stood up. He offered Rosie his and helped her to her feet when she accepted. "Heh, I like ya, kid. Bill Guarnere." He introduced himself and shook her hand.

"Rosalie Marseille, just call me Rosie or Rosa though."

One by one, the men started coming back from their run. They all cheered and complimented Rosie when they saw her. She had impressed Easy Company once again.

When Skip came hobbling in Rosa immediately whisked him off to the infirmary to check him over. When they got there, she made him sit and she began inspecting his ankle, asking him how it felt. Rosie noticed it was slightly bruised and had some swelling and determined that it was just a mild sprain. She bandaged up his ankle, wrapping the fabric around his foot and ankle to stabilise it and provide support. She then advised him to stay off it for as long as and whenever he could and try to keep it elevated. Then they made their way back to barracks.

"Girl's got grit. She's lasted Sobel this long which is impressive, and it don't seem she's gonna give up at all. We just saw that first-hand too." Bill complimented as the men discussed her actions from earlier that day.

"I'm not saying she don't, but nerve ain't enough." Joseph Toye countered. "When it comes down to it, in the heat of battle, I don't know how much I'd want to rely on a woman to save my life. She'll probably end up fainting at the first sight of blood."

Eugene, who was normally quiet and passive during these conversations, started laughing. Quite hysterically too.

"The fucks so funny?" Toye asked, looking over at him angrily.

"Y'all know she was a nurse, right? She was in the Nurse Corps before comin here." Gene retorted, still laughing. He was quite protective of their friend, and he wouldn't let these men question her abilities. She was completely competent and able to do her job perfectly. "She worked in a hospital before joining too. The girls seen blood before."

"She's taken a beating the whole time she been here, from all of us not just Sobel. She's been harassed and segregated all while doing the training with us trying to stop her and yet, she's still going." Malarkey spoke up. He liked the girl and to him she'd earnt his respect.

"You're all seeming to forget that she's the only one of us who didn't come in here on the first night and cry themselves to sleep. And we all saw what she did on the run today, with Sobel and Skip too. If you're asking me, I think she's proven herself by now." Liebgott spoke, agreeing with Malarkey.

"She probably just did that to get us to like her." Edward Tipper argued.

"Nah I don't think so. But even if she did," Bill started again, "when shit hits the fan, I, for one, think it wouldn't be so bad to have Rosie with us. She's got out backs, which is more than any of us can say for Sobel."

"I hate to say it boys, but I think we were wrong about this one." Luz agreed.

Just as he finished speaking, the door to the barracks opened to reveal Rosie with Skip leaning on her. She was supporting him as they talked quietly. The room went silent, all the men wondered if she had heard them and if so, how much. None of them were very discrete with it either, they all looked like deer caught in headlights.

"Oh no, don't stop on my account." She said sarcastically. "I'm fully aware that you're all talking about me." She said, rolling her eyes. A little hurt that their attitudes had seemed to change so drastically since that afternoon.

"Thank you, ma'am," Skip said looking up at her as she helped him onto his bed and put his ankle on a pillow to rest. "Honestly, you didn't have to go through all that trouble."

Rosie just looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a gentle smile. "Yes, I do. I'm your medic Skip. It's my job." And with that she turned around to address the rest of the men in the room, who were all still silent.

"Look, I know most of you don't want me here. You probably think I don't deserve it or that I slept my way in, but I didn't." Rosie said, looking around the room to assess the men's expressions before continuing. "I didn't choose to come to the airborne or Easy Company. I was forced. It's some sort of experiment ordered by Roosevelt and Eisenhower to see how well women and nurses can handle the frontline. I never got a choice." She said earnestly, looking down as she twiddled her thumbs slightly before looking at the men again. "Now, I'll be the first to admit that in the beginning, I didn't want to come. I was absolutely petrified but then I decided, 'Hell why not? I was chosen to help these men for a reason so I may as well go and try.' And so, I'm here, with all of you, trying my hardest to work through it and succeed in my duty. You can all hate me if you want but you won't get rid of me. I'm your medic and I'm here to stay." She finished confidently, looking around the room. She made herself clear and she hoped that was enough.

Rosie caught sight of Bill and Gene smiling at her and men all around the room starting to look at each other, then to her and then back at their friends beside them. They were all shocked to hear that this girl, who they thought was just some overconfident and arrogant broad trying to do a man's job, was actually just a young girl who had no choice in what happened to her or where she went. The men who hadn't been convinced before, were now. Rosie had earnt their respect; she had proven herself and she deserved to be there. Rosalie Marseille was a part of Easy Company.

That night at dinner, Rosie wasn't at a separate table with the medics. She was with all the men, squished between Bill and Toye. After her speech in the barracks, all of the men had come up and introduced themselves. Many had apologised for the way they had treated her and asked if they could start again, to which, Rosie accepted gleefully. So far, she had met George Luz, Frank Perconte, Joe Liebgott (who she later asked to cut her hair before the next training session) and Joe Toye, Don Hoobler, Floyd Talbert and Wayne Sisk. They were all good men, funny too. While Rosie would never forget how she was treated at the start, she was more than willing to forgive them all. She knew that if Easy was to survive Sobel and the war, they would need to work as team.


	18. 08 Training

Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.  
— Suzy Kassem  
  


**1 week later**

Easy company was known for their Friday night marches. While every other company was usually enjoying their time in town on a weekend pass, Sobel would revoke theirs and make them march 12 miles in the pitch black with full packs. It wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the fact that Lieutenant Sobel ordered them not to drink from their canteens. Not even a sip was acceptable to him. Every march there was at least one man who would be on the verge of collapse by the end.

This Friday night was no different and Rosie was getting sick of it. The monotonous trudge along the dirt road without water was giving her a headache. She was bored, felt numb and had almost completely shut down, not listening to a word of Luz and Bull's conversations beside her. Rosie hated these marches. She could tell Lieutenant Winters hated them too. Often times he would let the men take a tiny sip or two from their canteens, not enough to be noticeable though. Rosie liked Winters, he was a good man and an even better officer, always caring for and encouraging the men, unlike Sobel. He often reminded Rosie of her father.

"Lieutenant Winters." Bull called, bringing Rosa out of her trance.

"What is it?" Winters asked while looking back to them.

"Permission to speak, sir." Bull requested.

"Permission granted."

"Sir, we've got nine companies, sir." Bull started.

"We do." Winters confirmed.

Bull paused for a second before continuing. "Well, how come we're the only company marching every Friday night, 12 miles, full pack, in the pitch dark?"

"Why do you think Private Randleman?" Winters asked back.

"Lieutenant Sobel hates us, sir." Bull answered. Rosie could see the annoyance on his face, Bull, like herself and everyone else in Easy didn't have an answer to that question other than 'Sobel hates us'.

Winters stayed quiet for a while, slowing down to match pace with Rosie's row. "Lieutenant Sobel does not hate Easy company, Private Randleman." He stayed silent again for a second before adding, "He just hates you."

Everybody began laughing at that. Winters didn't usually crack jokes around the men but if it meant lightening their moods so they could continue the march, then he was willing to.

"Thank you, sir." Bull drawled out dramatically. Rosie began elbowing him and laughing as men around them started joking around.

"He hates him back." Muck said. While it as a joke Rosie could hear the distaste behind it.

"He hates you too, Muck."

Before anyone else could make another comment, Rosie cut in. "Nah, I'm pretty sure he hates me the most boys!" She called dryly, her voice carrying over the company and causing more banter and laughter. Men began patting her on the shoulder and back and jokingly telling her it'll be fine. Rosie looked over to see Winters chuckling a little too.

By the end of the march, Rosie's legs were dead, and she felt her head spinning. Damn Sobel and his stupid 'no water' rule. The company was standing in line, waiting in anticipation as Sobel paced in front of them. He didn't even take part in his own marches, always claiming he had 'paperwork', everyone in Easy knew that was bullshit though.

"Lieutenant Winters, I want canteens out of belts with the caps unscrewed." He demanded. Winters relayed the order.

Men began taking their canteens off their belts, unscrewing them and then holding them out waiting for the order to pour. Rosie could see Christensen getting nervous beside her, she had seen him drink some water during the march, but she didn't think it was enough to worry about.

"On my command, they will pour the contents onto the ground." Sobel barked again.

"On the CO's order you will upend your canteen." Winters relayed once again. Rosie could see Christensen get increasingly more nervous as they got closer to the order to pour them.

"Now Lieutenant."

"Pour 'em." Winters ordered. Rosie turned her canteen over and watched as all the water began falling to the ground, wetting her boots on the way down. What a waste. As the sound of everyone's water hitting the ground continued on, Rosie looked to see Christensen looking around anxiously. Shit, his water was gone already, this was going to be bad.

"Who is this?" Sobel questioned as raced up to the man and got right in his face. "Christensen! Why is there no water in your canteen? You drank from your canteen, didn't you?" Sobel continued interrogating.

"Sir, I- "he tried to speak.

"Lieutenant Winters." Sobel shouted. Rosie could see the fear in Christensen's eyes and that he was shaking slightly. Poor man, he was about to face the full wrath of Sobel. She hoped his punishment wouldn't be too harsh but knowing Sobel, that wasn't likely. Rosie didn't understand why he ordered them to not drink water, surly he knew how dangerous that could be, especially during such heaving exercise like their marches. He was quite honestly, one of the worst men she had ever met.

"Private Christensen, you have disobeyed a direct order. You will fill your canteen and repeat all 12 miles of the march immediately." Sobel yelled in the private's face. Shit, another 12 miles without water? Is this man insane? Before she could even comprehend what she was doing, Rosie began speaking.

"Lieutenant Sobel, sir." She called. Sobel's eyes zeroed in on her, scrutinising her every move. She could tell he was fuming. Rosie continued. "Private Christensen drank from his canteen under my orders, sir. I could see he was becoming dangerously dehydrated and as his platoon's medic, I ordered him to have some water so he wouldn't become too sick to continue." She called out to their CO, as respectfully and professionally as she could. She was waiting for him to come racing over and start screaming at her, but he didn't.

"Congratulations Christensen, Corporal Marseille here has just saved you from doing the march alone." He declared. "Both of you, fall out!"

As the company was dismissed, Rosie and Christensen filled their canteens again and then made their way back to the track to repeat all 12 miles of the march. They were silent for most of the way, only making a comment here or there but Rosa could see that the young man wanted to say something. Christensen was one of the only men who didn't come and introduce himself to her with the others. Rosa didn't really have an opinion on him. He seemed nice enough and he didn't seem to hate her, but she also didn't think he particularly liked her either. Rosie was getting a bit sick of the uncomfortable atmosphere created by his incessant opening and closing of his mouth and the gulps that followed, indicating that he was going to say something but then continued to shy away.

"If you have something to say, Private, just say it." She said exasperatedly, looking over to Christensen.

"I-...it's nothing ma'am." He replied nervously, walking rigid and continuing to look straight ahead.

"It's obviously not, or you wouldn't be standing there looking like a goldfish gasping for air." She chuckled, looking at Christensen. "Also, you don't need to bother with calling me ma'am, Rosie will do." She reassured.

Christensen looked at her in surprise for a moment before speaking. "Well, ma-, Rosie. Why did you do it? Why did you take the blame?"

"I don't know...so you wouldn't be alone maybe." She started hesitantly, unclear on why she did actually do it. "I'm not sure to be honest, Christensen. It just seemed like the right thing to do I guess."

That seemed to satisfy him as he smiled at the medic and they continued on. When they finally returned to camp and got to their barracks, Rosie checked him over to make sure he wasn't injured or sick from lack of water. After she cleared him, she made her way over to her bed, dropped down, too tired to properly change or tuck herself in and knocked out as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Lipton, who stayed up to wait for their return, looked over to Rosie's bed and smiled. He quietly manoeuvred his way to her, pulled the blanket over her tiny frame and said a quiet goodnight. He noticed the dark bags that had formed underneath her eyes from the lack of sleep they had all been getting. Bloody Sobel and his late-night punishments. They usually consisted of running up Currahee, doing the obstacle course or the march or doing a guard duty, and they were all typically handed out for something rather minor or inconsequential. And Rosie, who surprisingly had never received one of these punishments, always stayed up to make sure the men who did were okay and uninjured. She was a good medic and Lipton was glad to have her in Easy Company.

*****

Like all of the other companies at Toccoa, Easy had started to complicate the jump training more. They learned new techniques off by heart and had to correctly demonstrate them whilst in full uniform and packs. And while a majority of the company had gotten the hang of these techniques, there were a few who hadn't. The one who was having the most trouble was Smokey Gordon. He could never seem to get the landing right. Sobel would often target him during jump practice and yell at him, saying he'd either break both his legs or die as soon as he hit the ground.

Today's jump practice was very similar. Smokey had jumped and done the roll like he was taught but he landed wrong, causing Sobel to yell at him again. Now Rosie, Tab, Shifty and Sisk were all stood watching as Sobel yelled at Smokey.

"Why are you here, private Gordon?" Sobel asked.

"I wanna be in the airborne, sir."

"I don't believe you. Why are you here, Private Gordon?" Sobel asked again.

"I wanna be in the airborne, sir." Smokey answered again, raising his voice slightly.

The group watched on as Sobel ordered Gordon to run up Currahee and Smokey made his way over to the track.

"What the hell?" Rosie said, looking around at the men with her. "We should do something, shouldn't we?"

They were all angry with Sobel. Even if Gordon had gotten the landing wrong, that didn't warrant him being sent up Currahee alone in full pack and gear. None of them had to say anything to know what they would do; they all just shared a look with each other before making their way towards the track. When they caught up with Smokey the group silently shared smiles and nods of thanks with him before jogging up the mountain together. No words were needed to convey what they were doing.

*****

Over the next couple of days, training started to pick up even more. Every company at Toccoa was doing runs, obstacle courses and jump training in full gear. Today was one of the days they were facing the timed obstacle course as a unit. They'd be sent in mixed groups, one after another with everyone watching. Usually, Rosie wasn't nervous for these but today every company's CO and officers, and Colonel Sink and Major Strayer would be watching, and Rosie still wasn't able to make it over the wall on her own. Despite all her own practice, she was still never able to conquer it, and today especially, was a day she would need to.

As the company lined up at the beginning, Rosie started flexing her hands and cracking her knuckles, trying to prepare and distract herself. She steadied her breathing, watching the previous group on the course and trying to prepare a plan. Finally, the whistle blew again, signalling to her group that they could begin. Rosa started running with high knees, making her way through the rope net, being careful not to trip, men all around her began falling but Rosie was able get through without problems. She then continued running on, making her to the tall wooden ladder structure and she began climbing her way up. Quickly getting herself over and down the other side, along with Tab and some other men, they all continued on to the wooden boxes. Rosie pulled herself in and through faster than the rest and rolled out and onto her feet. That was always one of the easier parts for Rosa.

She continued on, weaving her way through the poles and making her way to the wall. Her biggest problem on this course. Rosa breathed in deeply, preparing herself. She began speeding up, her legs pumping faster and faster, trying to give her enough lift to get over. As she got into range, she sprinted and launched herself up and just as she was about to grip onto the top, her hand slipped. Rosie fell flat on her ass before smacking her back and head on the ground as well. She felt like all the air had been knocked out of her, her back was aching, her ass felt like it was going to bruise, and her ears were ringing. Rosa heard muffled laughter and screaming from all around her, she knew it wasn't Easy, it was from the rest of the companies.

"Give up."

"Stop trying."

"You'll never make it."

 **No**. As she sat up and tried reorienting herself, her hearing cleared up and she heard the malicious yells being replaced with those from her own company.

"Don't give up, Rosie!"

"Get back up, shorty!"

"Come on Mars, you can do it!"

"Let's do this, kid!"

Mars huh? That's a new one. With a new, fiery determination, Rosie got up and walked backwards, giving herself enough distance to get a proper run up. She stared at the wall, eyeing it up and down and judging the best course of action. As she began breathing in and out, preparing herself to attempt it again, more men from Easy who had just completed the course continued to yell encouragements. Okay, let's do this.

Rosie began running, her legs pushing her faster and faster as she approached the wall for the second time. Finally, she got within the perfect jumping distance. Launching off of her front foot, and placing her other foot onto the wall, Rosa managed to secure a strong grip on the top and then place her other foot on the wall too. She then used her legs and arms to simultaneously pull and push herself up and over the wall before dropping down the other side. Rosie landed on her feet and used her momentum from the drop to go into a forward roll to distribute her energy and weight. She then exited the roll onto her feet continued sprinting forward to the crawling section. She could hear her men shouting and yelling for her, they roared with excitement as they ran alongside of the course following and encouraging her more.

Rosa got down onto her front and began crawling through the gore in front of her, getting covered in blood and guts. Men around her began gagging and slowing down.

"What the hell is this shit?" Someone from Fox asked while gagging.

"This is pig guts boys." She chirped back before laughing at their disgusted looks and speeding up to get out of it. Finally, Rosa exited the guts and got back to her feet. The finish line was in her sights and she could see her friends waiting at the end, cheering her own. She sprinted towards them, weaving through and passing men from other companies and some from her own. She made it over the line, yelling and laughing with the boys. When she finally slowed to a stop, she was surrounded by them. They began cheering and hugging her, patting her on the back, some even gave her sweaty and blood covered cheeks kisses.

"That's our girl!" Luz yelled, hugging her as all the men cheered louder in agreeance.

"You did it Shorty, you finally made it over that wall!" Liebgott cheered her on, laughing as she was about to complain at the nickname.

Bull pulled her onto his shoulders so she could be above the rest of the men. Easy continued celebrating louder and louder, casing a ruckus that the other companies could only sit and watch in complete shock and disbelief. As the rest of Easy came in, the company celebrated everyone's successes, especially Rosa's before being dismissed by a disgruntled and begrudging Sobel.

As they walked off, none but Rosa noticed the eyes of the two officers watching them, she just brushed it off though.

"Winters, that medic of yours...she's pretty impressive." The first man said, watching the small woman with her company.

"Yeah, she is. She's one of our best." Winters responded, smiling as he watched the girl as well. The man beside Lieutenant Winters just let out a hum of acknowledgement. "Well, Lieutenant, I should let you get back to your company." Winters said, smiling at the mysterious officer next to him. He only receiving a brief smile from the man before he walked off.

*****

"Easy company has the finest performance record in the entire 2nd battalion." Colonel Sink said as he pinned a badge to Sobel's collar. "I believe every bit of that is thanks to you. Congratulations, Captain Sobel." He finished as the newly promoted Captain stood at attention, looking proud.

"Thank you, sir." Sobel responded. Colonel Sink's attention was taken away from the man in front of him as he looked out the window.

Sink nodded to the window. "Ain't that Lieutenant Winters leading Easy company in PT?"

Sobel looked back to see what Colonel Sink was talking about. "Yes sir."

Sink nodded. "He's a damned good man. I was planning on giving him a set of these today," Sink explained while holding up another badge. "Why don't you do it? He'd be proud to get 'em from you." Sink said while placing the badge into Sobel's hand.

*****

Sobel was busy rummaging through everyone's personal belongings. After his new promotion he had collected all of Easy's officers, such as Winters, Nixon and a couple others, and gone into their barracks. Sobel forced the officers to stand in line as he dumped people's stuff onto the beds and the ground and picked out the things he found 'wrong' with it. He had already gone through Rosalie's belongings, targeting her first and the most. He claimed she had too many 'unnecessary' undergarments and personal products. Nixon tried not to cringe as he threw bras and tampons around the room, purposely trying to get them on men's beds. Winters just had to feel embarrassed for the girl, she was definitely going to be in for the shock of her life when she comes in and finds her bras and sanitary items strewn about for every man to see.

Now, in a different lodging, Sobel found a pinup magazine, a tie and some letters on the men's beds. He held it all up for everyone to see and claimed contraband.

"What is this?" Sobel asked, holding up a can of peaches. "Anybody?"

"Eh...it's a can of peaches, sir." Nixon responded.

"Lieutenant Nixon thinks that this is a can of peaches. That is incorrect, Lieutenant. Your weekend pass is cancelled." Sobel said and turned his attention back to all the officers in the room. "This is United States Army property, which was taken, without authorisation, from my mess facility, and I will not tolerate thievery in my unit." He said, stalking the line of men in front of him before tossing the can to Evans. "Whose footlocker is this?"

"Private Parkes', sir." Winters answered.

Sobel stared at him. "Get rid of him." He said and walked towards the men. "All weekend passes are cancelled, all officers included," he stared at Nixon for a moment then said, "Carry on."

All the officers saluted Sobel, receiving one back before dismissing themselves. Winters was about to leave when Sobel called him.

"Lieutenant Winters." Sobel called as he walked out of the barracks with the man in question following him.

"Colonel Sink has seen it fit to promote you." Sobel explained to Winters once they were outside. "As first Lieutenant, you will serve as my executive officer. Congratulations."

"Thank you, sir." Winters responded as he stood straight and Sobel pinned the bars onto his collar.

"And as a test of your organisation skills and command potential, I am designating you mess officer for fourteen days." Dammit, of course Sobel would something like that. There was always a catch with Sobel. "Report to the mess kitchen at zero-five-fifteen hours. Company breakfast to be served at zero-six hundred." Once Sobel had finished pinning the bars onto Winters, they continued walking.

"Oh, and Dick? There's rain forecast tomorrow, so the company will have a light afternoon of lecture and classroom instruction." Sobel informed as they continued walking. He paused before talking again. "I think a special meal before their afternoon off would be a welcome change of pace. Would you agree?"

"Yes, sir." Winters said, glad the company was finally getting a break.

Sobel nodded, thinking of what he could feed the company. "I like spaghetti."


	19. 09 Sobel Being Sobel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the chapters that had ideas that were unintentionally similar to Sunshine Soldier, so to rectify that issue I rewrote Ron and Rosie's first meeting as something completely original and new and cannot be mistake for plagiarism. And honestly i like this version much more. I won't be changing the period part as that was genuinely one of my own ideas that i thought of in the first planning stages of Virago and when i first watched Bob and it's one i really like and feel is important to the story.

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.  
— Oliver Wendell Holmes  
  


It was lunchtime the following day and everyone in Easy was sat around the tables, talking and gouging themselves on spaghetti. It was going to be raining all day so Sobel apparently organised lectures and a special meal for the company. Rosie could hardly believe that he was doing this, especially after last night.

Everyone had walked into their barracks after a long day of training only to find that all their possessions had been thrown out of their footlockers and onto their own beds or the surrounding ground. Rosie wasn't as lucky though; she was shocked to find that most of her belongings had been strewn about the entire room, particularly her undergarments that had almost always been found on or around everyone else's beds. Rosa was completely mortified when Popeye Wynn had come up to her, standing awkwardly and blushing as he held one of her bras in his hand. Her face had flushed a deep red, and she couldn't speak as she took it from him. Seeing her embarrassment, Liebgott and Malarkey helped her collect all her things from around the room while everyone else decided that it'd best not to mention anything about the things they found when they handed them to one of the three.

The company's shock only grew more when they found out that Lieutenant Sobel was now Captain Sobel. It didn't sit right with Rosie that someone like that could be promoted and given that much power over people, especially when it was known how badly he treated them. She knew there was nothing anyone could do though; Easy Company would just have to deal with Captain Sobel.

Rosa cringed at the memory as she looked down at her spaghetti, if you could call it that. It was honestly just thin noodles and tomato sauce, but she wasn't going to complain about some of the only decent food they've received in their whole time at Toccoa. She continued to pick at her plate, eating some of it but not really having any appetite. Something felt off about this whole thing, Sobel was never nice.

"This stuff is orange. Spaghetti ain't supposed to be orange." a man sat across from Rosie said.

"This ain't spaghetti. This is army noodles with ketchup." Frank Perconte declared with his mouth full.

"You ain't gotta eat it." Bill said as he popped up behind Rosie and Frank. "Scoot over a bit, Mars." he told her as he sat down beside her, squishing Rosie in between the two Italian men. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but she was used to it by now.

"Oh c'mon, Gonorrhoea. As a fellow Italian, you should know that calling this crap spaghetti is a mortal sin." Frank said exasperatedly, trying to reason with the man.

"I mean complain if you want, Perco but this is probably the best meal you're gonna get for a few years, so I'd savour it if I were you." Rosie hummed and gestured to the food in front of her.

He was about to respond when Donny Hoobler's loud voice cut in. "If you don't want it, I'll have it." The man said turning around in his seat and reaching over to take Perconte's plate but before he was able to get the food, Rosie slapped his hand away and gave him a clear, pointed look with a raised eyebrow.

"Stay out of it." Rosie scowled playfully.

"Hey, get outta here!" Bull joined in, elbowing Hoobler away.

Some of the men stopped eating to see what the commotion was about but their attention was quickly taken away from the group when a loud whistle blared throughout the mess hall.

"Orders changed, get up!" Sobel yelled, barging into the room. Everyone in the mess hall stopped eating instantly and stood at attention as he continued walking through the hall. "Lectures are cancelled. Easy Company is running up Currahee!" He ordered, causing everyone to let out a sigh and clench their jaws in anger.

"God dammit, we were eating." Perconte whispered angrily under his breath as Easy quickly shuffled their way out of the hall and Sobel continued to yell.

Rosie's eyes widened and she had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she answered. "Yeah, we were."

She had a feeling that this was not going to go well.

*****

Rosalie was right, this wasn't going well at all. Running up Currahee after a massive meal was a nightmare.

It started off all right, everyone felt relatively fine. It was only when the company ventured further up the mountain and their pace got quicker that men began feeling queasy and throwing up. It smelt disgusting, men everywhere were covered in their own vomit and the remnants of their lunch had stained their white shirts. It didn't help that Sobel was screaming at everyone like usual, chewing into the men for feeling sick, saying they don't deserve their wings. That son of a bitch, he had planned this.

Rosie was running between Eugene and Shifty. She could hear men gagging and throwing up all around them and while she hadn't eaten as much as them, the smell alone was enough to make someone sick.

"Eh Gene, Shifty, I don't feel so good." Rosie said wearily. Usually, the smell of vomit didn't affect her, but this was so putrid and so concentrated that she couldn't help but gag a little. Both men turned to look at her as she started coughing and gagging. They could tell she wasn't doing well. Her face had flushed white, her lips were pale and cracked and she was sweating profusely. Rosie could feel a tiny amount of bile rising up her throat, stinging as it made its way up, but she quickly swallowed it down, coughed at the taste and then spat on the ground to get rid of it and the excess saliva.

"MARSEILLE!" Sobel screamed. He came running up, pushing Gene aside as he tried to get in Rosie's face. "What's the matter Marseille? Are you sick? You can go home now, you know. You don't have to be here anymore!" He yelled. Sobel could see it wasn't having any effect though as Rosa kept a straight face and ignored him. "You don't deserve to be here! You're a woman Marseille, you're worthless. None of these men need you. None of these men want you!"

_Asshole._

"We pull upon the risers, we fall upon the grass," George Luz started singing and soon the whole of Easy Company joined in. Rosie sung along, wiping some sweat from her brow as she continued on with the men.

"We never land upon our feet, we always hit our ass! Highty tighty, Christ almighty, who the hell are we? Zim zam, goddamn, we're Airborne Infantry!"

The company began singing it again as they sped up, leaving Captain Sobel in their dust in shock and frustration.

"We pull upon the risers, we fall upon the grass, we never land upon our feet, we always hit our ass! Highty tighty, Christ almighty, who the hell are we? Zim zam, goddamn, we're Airborne Infantry!"

*****

Luckily for Easy Company, the previous forecast of rain had been right, and it had started bucketing down just minutes after they got back from Currahee. It continued for days on end, raining non-stop and putting a hold on the normal activities, so instead of physical training, the companies were all given lectures, tactical training and then some much-needed time off to do whatever they liked. Easy Company chose to spend most of their time playing card games.

"Jesus Christ, I didn't think you were going to get back up after that fall." Martin said looking at the girl seated next to him on the ground who was currently inspecting her cards with a blank face. They were discussing the timed obstacle course from a few days ago, the one where Rosa had finally managed to get over the wall herself.

"I didn't either to be honest, but I did it somehow." Rosie chuckled while placing her last cards in the middle of the circle. The men around them started an uproar at the cards she had placed down.

"What the fuck?" Martin whispered to himself, looking back and forth between his own cards and the ones in the middle belonging to the girl beside him.

"What? H-how did you-? When did you? Again?" Liebgott exclaimed, looking around the circle at everyone else's dumbfounded expressions for an answer. All of them just returned the same look before shaking their heads.

"Mm I have no idea, beginners' luck I suppose." Rosie taunted them all with a smile as she collected the pile of cigarettes and chocolate bars from the middle. The boys had taken the time to teach her gambling over the past few weeks and they regretted it every time they played. She was scarily good at it, always winning and clearing them out of everything they put forward. Rosa must've had a full army stock of cigarettes and chocolate by now. Even if she didn't smoke, she still took those packs as well. Rosie realised that while they were in war, none of them would probably have time to buy or receive presents, so she figured giving each man a chocolate bar and a pack of lucky strikes from her ever-growing collection would suffice. None of the men knew that though.

"Mars, ya can't keep claiming beginners' luck all the time. Anyway, you're nowhere near rooky enough for it to even be considered 'beginners luck' anymore." Luz shot back using her new nickname and poking her in the side, making sure to be careful of the bruise that had formed. "Are you sure you've never learnt before?" He playfully questioned her.

"Mhm, I am very sure. You're all just shit at gambling it seems." Rosie laughed as Lieb and Hoob gave her insulted looks and started throwing bits of their stolen snacks at her, while Bill and Joe tried to take some cigarettes from her pile in the distraction. Rosa smacked both their hands away and gave them a firm look before giggling and ducking behind Martin to escape the bombardment.

"Hey! You take that back." Lieb said throwing a biscuit at her but missing and hitting Luz instead, who looked very offended that someone had thrown food at him. Hoob laughed as Rosie threw a candy bar back at Lieb, hitting him straight in the head and stopping his attack. Johnny chuckled at the situation playing out in front of him. Usually, he'd stop it, but this was their time off and they all deserved to have some fun once in a while.

"Peace offering?" She asked gesturing to the chocolate and peering out from behind the Sergeant. She added a sweet smile, hoping it would convince him more.

"Fine." He said, accepting the chocolate that had fallen in his lap. "But only cause you're so tiny and I wouldn't wanna break you." He said while taking a bite out of the chocolate.

"Hey, I'm only 5'2! I'm not _that_ small." Rosa said eyeing him.

Everyone around her paused for a second, they knew she was short, but they didn't think she was that short. They thought 5'5 at least.

"Jesus kid, you're a tiny thing ain't ya?" Toye chuckled, looking at the girl up and down.

"Better to have a tiny medic than no medic at all." Rosie shot back, daring him to make fun of her size one more time. She always knew she was short, but she didn't think she was that short. Well, when compared to the men, yes – except Perco, he was just taller than her, standing around 5'5 – but not other women. Rosie always thought that she was fairly average for her age.

Joe paused for a second, cocking his head to the side and furrowing his brow. "Good point." He said, realising that what she said was true. Size didn't matter when being saved by someone, especially when that someone had Rosie's skills.

Though, the sudden revelation about her height had brought up another question none of them knew the answer to. Now that they took a really good look at her, the men realised just how young Rosa actually looked.

"Well, Rosie, now that we actually know your height. How old are ya?" Bill asked curiously.

"18." She answered casually as she opened one of her chocolate bars and began eating it. Hey, just because she's saving most of them for the men doesn't mean she wouldn't be saving any for herself.

"What? Why would they send someone like you here? I mean you're barely out of school." Martin questioned. "No offence, Mars." He added quickly realising how that could sound.

"None taken, I have no idea either. Something about my 'skills' and 'dedication' or something like that." Rosie answered casually again, still more focussed on her sweet treat. "Anyway, it doesn't really matter anymore, I'm here now and I'm not leaving." She continued.

The men all paused, looking at the girl in front of them. She did make a good point, but that didn't mean they felt any less upset at the fact that this girl, someone so young, had no real choice in the matter.

"Well, we're glad to have you, Mars." Hoobler said, smiling at the girl. The rest of the men laughed and agreed, then they went back to playing. As per usual, Rosie won every round they played.

*****

Finally, after a few more days of torrential rain, it had stopped. The sun was out and that meant physical training was back on. Rosie was actually quite excited to get back out and do some physical activity, being cramped up for days on end meant that she had loads of pent-up energy that needed to be released. But what she thought was going to be a much-needed change of pace, turned out to be her lowest ever point in training. Because the training had gotten more and more complicated, Rosie had focussed more on the content they were learning rather than herself, leading to her forgetting to track her 'cycle' a couple times. Usually, she got lucky and it started before or after training, so she was always able to get it sorted. But this time, she wasn't so lucky.

Easy Company had been training all day, running Currahee, doing the obstacle course, jump training and PT. Rosie had felt it coming on all day, the cramps, the headaches, the nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach, she thought she would be able to get away with it though, that, like usual, the actual bleeding wouldn't start till afterwards. But now Easy Company was lined up in formation after completing the obstacle course, waiting for Sobel to do his inspection. It was stinking hot, Rosie was sweating profusely, her vision was fuzzy, and her stomach was starting to hurt like a bitch. It didn't help that Sobel had just finished screaming at her in front of everyone after he made her do the obstacle course 3 times more than the rest of the men. Rosie knew her symptoms were getting worse, she could feel it, she could also feel a damp patch starting to form in her underwear. Rosa knew what it was, but she couldn't leave to sort it out or she would be yelled at again, so she would have to wait till after they were dismissed.

Sobel started stalking the lines and yelling at every man for something. As he got further down the line, closer to Rosie, her heart started racing and her head started spinning slightly. She could feel something wet and cool begin running down her legs. She didn't need to look down to know what it was. Merde, pas maintenant. Her breathing picked up and she could feel a lump build up in her throat and her eyes water. Please no, not now, anytime but now. Rosie heard whispers erupt from around her, she knew the men had seen too. Just as she thought it couldn't get any worse, Sobel locked eyes with her, looked down to the red liquid dribbling down her legs and raced over. FUCK!

"CORPOAL MARSEILLE!" He screeched with a look of disgust on his face. "What are you doing?"

"I-" Rosie tried to speak but her throat closed up and her voice broke.

"Is that blood? Who gave you permission to bleed during my training session?" He screeched again, making sure everyone could hear him. By now, everyone in a 50-foot radius was watching what was happening over at Easy Company. By now, everyone in her own Company and every other company at Camp Toccoa could see the blood seeping through Rosie's shorts and running down her legs.

"I'm sorry sir, I can't control it." Rosie said quietly, her voice could barely be heard over the whispers and talking of everyone around her. She felt the tears building up in her eyes, she tried not to let any escape as she stared at her CO.

"I don't care if you can't control it, Corporal. That is disgusting and you are embarrassing me and my company!" he leaned down and yelled in her face again. He was enjoying this. Rosie could see it on his face. "Get it out of my sight! Fall out Corporal, you have 50 minutes to the top and back, and I'll be watching!" He ordered, pointing to Currahee with an evil smile on his lips. "Maybe that will teach you not to bleed in my company ever again."

Rosie just stared at the man in front of her in disbelief, trying to hold back more tears and stop herself from throwing up. He was making her run Currahee? For bleeding? As she fell out of line and jogged over to the start of the mountain track, Rosie could hear Sobel yelling about what just happened, trying to make an example out of her and humliate the girl even more. He ordered the men not to follow her before dismissing them.

By the time she had made her way up to the top, she was exhausted. Rosie stood next to the marble statue, leaning on it for support as she began retching and throwing up. Her stomach was cramping badly, causing her legs and back to ache. Her head was spinning, and her eyes were stinging, from tears or sweat or maybe both, she couldn't tell anymore. Rosie stood up straight, stretching her back and shoulders and then made her way back down the mountain. Her calves were burning, and her heart was racing faster than ever, she still felt sick, but she couldn't stop. Sobel would have her head if she didn't get back within the 50 minutes. She continued to run further down the mountain and back towards camp, the sky got darker and the air got colder making it hard for Rosie to see what was in front of her and causing her to shiver. Suddenly, Rosie cried out as she stumbled into a pothole, twisting her ankle and slowing to a limp. She quickly looked down to assess the damage before continuing on through the pain.

Rosie eventually made it to the bottom and limped her way back into camp. She somehow managed to make it back in under 50 minutes but she was covered in a mixture of blood, sweat and tears, and her ankle was fucked. Fuck you Sobel. As Rosie made her way further into camp, she realised she had missed dinner, it didn't matter to her though as she didn't have much of an appetite after the ordeal she just went through. Not wanting to spend any more time in the training field, Rosie limped her way over to the shower block, collected a spare uniform and took a quick shower to wash the dirt, blood and sweat off of her and warm up, before grabbing a bandage for her ankle from the infirmary and making her way back to her barracks.

When Rosie opened to door to her billet and quietly made her way in, all of the men stopped what they were doing and looked at her. She got Déjà Vu of the first time she ever came to Camp Toccoa and entered her barracks. Shaking the feeling off, Rosie shut the door behind her and began limping to her bed but before she could take any more steps, Skip Muck came over to her, wrapped her arm around his shoulder and supported her the rest of the way. Skip then helped Rosa onto her bed, took the bandage from her hand and wrapped her ankle and foot exactly like she had done for him all those weeks ago. That gave her Déjà Vu too but once again she shook it off. She thanked him with a nod as the rest of her friends quickly crowded her bed, bombarding her with questions and words of support.

"Are you ok?" Malarkey asked.

"What happened?" Shifty asked.

"Sobel's an ass, what he did was out of line." Bill said and Toye agreed.

"Rosie, I'm sorry. I should've spoken up or something." Lip said.

"It's okay Lip, you didn't have to." Rosie said quietly, pausing for a second. "I'm okay everyone, you can calm down now. I only twisted my ankle, not too bad, I'll live." She said smiling at them all. That seemed to calm them down a bit as they all relaxed and sat down on her bad and the beds around her. The men picked up on the fact that Rosie didn't want to talk about it, so Luz started telling stories and jokes to lighten the mood. Gene came in soon after to make sure she was okay and to check out her ankle. He rebandaged it since Skip's attempt wasn't that great. Bless him, he really tried but he was no medic. Gene also gave her some food. Luckily, he had realised that Rosa wasn't going to be back before dinner, so he snuck out some chicken and bread. Now, Rosie was snacking on that as Luz continued his story.

It must've been only half an hour since Rosie got back when Sobel came barging into the room, ordered her to report to the infirmary, where she would be taking stock of the entire battalions medical supplies. Everyone was left in shock at how fast it had happened and of how hard Sobel was being on their little medic. One minute they were all enjoying Luz's story about one of his teachers and the next Rosie was up, in full uniform and about to walk out the door.

"Hey Mars, it's cold out there, you should take a jacket." Perco reminded her and Rosie quickly realised that she had left her jacket all the way on the opposite side on the room on her bed. She sighed and was about to hobble her way back over when Bull stopped her.

"Here kid, take mine." He said, giving her a sad smile and handing the medic his jacket. As she limped out the door and down the stairs, she put Bull's jacket on and wrapped it tightly around her body. The size of it dwarfed her, making it look like she was wearing a dress, Rosie didn't care though, it was warm and comfortable. And with that, she made her way through the camp and over to the infirmary.

As Rosie walked up the low set stairs, she felt a twinge in her ankle and had to pause for a moment and catch her breath. This goddamn ankle was making things very difficult. After she caught her breath and the pain resided, she continued up the stairs and into the wooden building where shelves upon shelves of messy, unorganised medical equipment came into view. Sighing to herself, Rosie slowly limped over to the main desk, picked up the clipboard that was placed on top and began scouring the list. This was going to take ages. After deciding to complete the smaller tasks first, Rosie set her eyes on the boxes of morphine and dressings. She painfully hobbled her way over to the shelf, where she started unloading all the supplies and quickly began counting and marking things off on her list and writing notes down on what needed to be replaced or bought before moving onto the other shelves.

It had been about two and a half hours and Rosie was almost done. Most of the supplies were in date and had the right amounts required by army regulations, except, surprisingly and stupidly enough, the equipment needed perform surgeries. Taking note of that issue, Rosa began checking the last things on her list. She was so caught up in her punishment that she hadn't noticed the creaking of wood and the obnoxious groaning until a burst of movement appeared in her peripheral vision. She snapped her head around to get a better look, and a man, with another soldier handing off of him, came into view. At first, Rosa couldn't see who it was because of how dark it was but as she stood up from her position and stepped forward to get a better look, the first man turned his head to her and the old, dingy lights above them revealed his face. Rosie recognised him instantly. It was the man from the obstacle course, the one who was with Lieutenant Winters. She then looked to the chevrons on his uniform sleeve to determine his rank. Lieutenant.

Rosa had thought he was handsome the other day, but seeing the man upclose now just reaffirmed her belief. Though, once she quickly realised her wandering thoughts, Rosa shook her head clear of them and spoke up. "Um hello, sir. Are you both alright?" She asked, gesturing the groaning man hanging from his shoulder as she wrapped Bull's jacket tighter around herself and approached them. Just because she was comfortable with her men doesn't mean she would be with anyone else; her reputation was still terrible amongst the other companies.

"Yes, hello Corporal. One of my men is sick, he needs immediate attention" The man said, before approaching the girl. Snapping into action, Rosie limped as quickly as she could over to the the nearest bed and began preparing it while she ordered the officer to bring his man over and set him down on the bed. Once he had done that, Rosie began assessing the whining soldier.

"Symptoms?" 

"Vomiting, excessive sweating, some diarrhea." the lieutenant responded quickly as Rosa rested the back of her hand against her patients sweaty forehead. 

"Mmm he's got a very high fever. Is there anything else you can think of?" Rosie questioned as she began stripping her patient of his uniform shirt to cool him down a bit. 

"He was complaining of lower back pain and a sharp pain in his right side too."

Rosie looked up at the officer in front of her as he mentioned those symptoms, the cogs in her brain began turing as she racked her memory for a condition that fit the list of symptoms she had been given. With a slight idea in mind, Rosa began assessing the man's abdomen by moving her hands around his stomach and sides, and pressing in slightly to feel for any abnormalities. When Rosie finally reached the man's right side, she noticed the area was firm and swollen. Quickly realising what this was, she pressed down slightly on his side which elicited a yelp and scream from her patient and confirmed her suspicions. 

"Shh I'm sorry, I know it hurts." Rosie cooed comfortingly to the man before addressing his lieutenant. "You were right to bring him here, sir. He has appendicitis and by the looks of it, it's going to rupture very soon. He needs to go to hospital right away." She concluded.

"You can't just take it out now?" the man questioned, surprisingly calm for someone who just found out one of his soldier's appendix is about to burst. 

"I wish I could but in his condition, it's too dangerous. We don't have the appropriate equipment on base and this area isn't sterile, by removing it here we would run the risk of giving him a major infection." Rosie explained. She felt horrible, the man was in so much pain and she had the training to perform the surgery, but it was just too dangerous.

Accepting the medics answer with a nod, the officer stayed with his soldier as Rosie went to the infirmary phone to call an ambulance. Once she had confirmation it was on the way, she went over to the boxes of morphine she had just orgaisned, took one syrette out and injected it into her groaning patient. She then wrote a note on her supply list to get more morphine while herself and the officer waited for the ambulance to arrive.

At first it was silent, neither of them said anything to each other and the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the soldier's groans and the cicadas in the distance, but it was then interrupted by a sharp clicking noise. Rosie looked up at the mysterious Lieutenant to see him lighting a cigarette that was in his mouth. He held out the pack to her, offering her one.

"No thanks, sir. I don't smoke." She said shyly. Rosie was still nervous, neither of them had said anything to each other and she still didn't know who this man was. He nodded slightly, took a puff of his cigarette and put the pack away before speaking.

"I've just realised that I forgot to introduce myself during all the excitement." he started, taking a puff of his cigarette. "Lieutenant Speirs. Dog Company. And the man you just treated was Private Austill. " The man said while holding his hand out for Rosie to shake.

Oh no, Dog Company. The men from Dog hated her, especially after she implied that they all had STDs. Rosie hesitated, hoping he didn't know about that. "Corporal Marseille, sir. Easy Company." Rosa replied, shaking his hand as she threw a quick glance to Private Austill. 

"I know who you are, Corporal. Everyone does." He said, chuckling at the girl.

It wasn't malicious but she still couldn't tell his opinion of her. It appears that Lieutenant Speirs was very hard to read. "I guess that's true, being the only girl and all." Rosie giggled slightly, still on edge.

Speirs must've noticed her nerves because he gave the girl a genuine smile before changing the topic."I saw you on the obstacle course the other day. You were pretty impressive. Dick seems to be happy too, he wouldn't stop talking about how amazing you are."

Rosie was taken aback by the compliment and the news that Winters thought she was 'amazing', whatever that meant. "Uh thank you sir, I didn't think it was that impressive at the time but everyone else seems to think otherwise." Rosa said.

Speirs just hummed and nodded again. "You were pretty impressive just before too." he said, causing Rosie to blush slightly and briefly look away. "You know Corporal, many of the men don't seem to like you being here, especially mine," he started. Oh no, here it comes. Rosa just looked down at her hands, waiting for some type of insult or slur but she was surprised when none came. "But I think it's a good thing. I think you're going to do some real good in the Airborne."

Rosa looked up at the man in shock, that's definitely not what she had expected from one of the officers of Dog Company. Lieutenant Speirs just smirked at the girl, took another puff of his cigarette and turned back to check on his Private. The two didn't speak much for the rest of the night, only really sharing polite conversation. Speirs had asked about Rosie's ankle though but after she explained the premise of what happened they left it at that. When the ambulance finally turned up to collect the sick private, Speirs escorted Rosie back to her barracks, making sure she got there safely before saying goodnight and going on his way.

Rosie smiled to herself as she lay in bed, trying to sleep. Well, that was a pleasant surprise, turns out that not everyone outside of Easy Company hates her.

**French Translations**  
merde, pas maintenant = shit, not now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a long chapter today but it was fun to write and I'm pretty proud of this one. I hope everyone's still enjoying Virago! ✌🏻 xx


	20. 10 Wild Dogs

People will always have their opinion on you despite who you are and what you're capable of.  
— Ana Chable  
  


**Trigger Warning: sexual assault and self harm**

It was a quiet day at Camp Toccoa. A majority of the men were out in the local town on their weekend pass, even Easy Company. Sobel finally hadn't revoked everyone's passes for the first time in forever and that meant the men were finally able to enjoy a weekend free of training and Sobel. Though some claimed that he'd only done that because they were moving to Fort Benning in the next couple of days to complete the rest of their training and get their wings. Despite that, Rosie and Gene still decided to stay back and study all of their notes and the Gray's Anatomy textbook they were given. Shifty also joined them, not by choice though. He was one of the few unlucky men who didn't get a weekend pass. Sobel had claimed he didn't hit the target enough in rifle practice, which everyone knew was bullshit because Shifty was the best shot in Easy Company and he was their sniper.

The three recruits were currently sat at a table in the mess hall, Rosie and Gene were going over the treatment for trench foot and frostbite while Shifty just sat and listened, jumping in a couple times to ask questions. Even if he wasn't a medic, it was good to know how to treat this stuff in case there was no medic around to do it on the frontline. Rosie had just finished explaining the correct treatment for frostbite to both the men when a group of men from Dog Company came up and encircled the table. The group was led by Thomas Baker, a man who had been tormenting Rosa since her first day at Toccoa. He was one of the main contributors and creators of the rumours the plagued the camp and he always took every chance he could get to harass her.

Rosa just sighed as she looked up from the book in front of her to the group of men. "What do you want, Baker?"

"We heard that you were giving out free blowjobs behind the shower block and we came to collect ours." Baker smirked while looking Rosa up and down hungrily as his goons laughed behind him.

"Well, I have no idea where you heard that from cause it's not true and even if it was, none of you would be receiving one." Rosie said plainly, not impressed at his attempt to upset her. Gene and Shifty just sat in shock at how these men were treating her and how well she was handling it.

"Aw c'mon now doll, no need to get mean about it. We just want what Easy is getting every night." He smirked again, as his goons started laughing even more obnoxiously.

"Yeah, surely you've fucked every single one of em by now, even Sobel." One of Baker's friends sneered, taking a step forward and getting in Rosa's face.

"C'mon man, leave her alone. You've had your fun." Shifty said darkly, taking a sip from his drink.

"Stay out of this...uh...Shifty, right? That's what they call ya?" Baker asked mockingly.

"Hey, fuck off. We ain't done anything to you." Gene finally spoke up. He was getting angry, he remembered watching how these exact men treated her on her first night at dinner.

"Aww, look at that boys, the little slut has to get her boyfriends to stand up for her." He sneered while getting right in Rosie's face. She was taken aback, he had never called her a slut before and after some of Sobel's previous comments, that one hurt.

"Baker, stop!" Rosa said, looking at the men in front of her with pleading eyes. She was tired of this. "Leave us alone."

"Ahaha would you look at that, she wants us to leave her alone." Baker said laughing loudly with his friends. "Fine, I'll leave you alone princess, but after you read this. It's a little article on you, you see, and I think it's very entertaining...and truthful." He said, throwing a newspaper down onto the table.

Rosie and her friends stared at it as the group of men crowded in closer to see their reactions. The girl picked it up and flipped it to the title page. Rosalie Marseille: Soldier or Slut? Rosie gulped as she saw the title. This can't be good.

_Rosalie Marseille: Soldier or Slut?_

_Rosalie Marseille, 18 years old, is a female Corporal in the US Airborne. She originally enlisted as a junior nurse in the Nurse Corps, but the young female was soon transferred to the Airborne as a combat medic. The Airborne Division claims that it was ordered by the President and General Eisenhower themselves, but you have to wonder how much of that is true. They could be covering their ass for the stupid mistake they made and sometimes you have to wonder who the real idiot is here. The Airborne or the little girl who thought she would be good enough?_

_I have my doubts and concerns about this young 'medic'. A female in the Army for starters, is never a good idea. Females are weak and soft; they aren't cut out to do the jobs of men or to experience war. If Marseille does somehow pass the training, she'll only get herself or our valuable men killed. Another concern of mine is that while all the men of the Airborne are volunteers, Rosalie Marseille is not. Those brave men volunteered to be a part of the Airborne program, they want to be there, but she did not. Marseille was transferred against her will and she is most likely acting like it too. How can we trust a female who never wanted to be there in the first place, to properly look after our boys and make sure they come home? She doesn't want to be in the Airborne and based on intel from my insider at Camp Toccoa, she seems to be taking her position for granted. She isn't trained to the same standard as the men, they take it easy on her and haven't kicked her out for failing or not being able to keep up with the required training. So, it seems to me that Miss Marseille is stealing a position in the Airborne from a man who deserves to be there more than her. According to my insider, it also appears to be for her own selfish reasons too. I will cover those next._

_This female medic poses as a distraction to the men, meaning they cannot do their jobs properly. My insider states that she is sleeping with the men in her company and that she provides 'special services' for the others. My insider also said that she is 'dating' many of the men, in what seems to be a sick game of hers to find her best options for a husband. Is this really what the people of the United States of America want happening in their Army? Some daft whore going around, distracting our men and preventing them from doing their jobs? Do we really want to risk the lives of our young men and our freedom just because some broad is looking for a husband in the wrong place? I know I certainly don't._

_Women have no place in the military. They should be at home, cooking, cleaning and looking after children. Rosalie Marseille should be at home, looking for a husband outside of the military and caring for him, but instead she is gallivanting around the Airborne, distracting our brave soldiers and fighting for a cause she has no part in. Women do not have the same rights as men, and for good reason too. If they did, I'm afraid we'd have more Rosalie Marseilles' on our hands, fighting in wars and getting the important people of America killed. Miss Marseille's position in the military is one of privilege and it is one she does not deserve._

_Rosalie Marseille, I ask you, please do not risk the lives of these men just because you want a husband or because you think you're capable of doing what they are. You're not. You are a woman. It is not right or how this works. You have no place in the Airborne and you never will. Go home, Rosalie. Leave before you get men killed._

Rosie's heart raced and her cheeks burned with fiery embarrassment and anger. Baker and his friends were laughing behind her, she knew instantly that they had already read it. Knowing Baker, he probably read it out loud to the whole of Dog Company too. Rosa bit the inside of her cheek, trying to hold back the tears that blurred her vision. Baker leaned down next to her, getting too close for Rosie's liking. It gave her goosebumps and a sick feeling in her stomach.

"Why are you here, Marseille? Everyone hates you, to us you're nothing but a dirty whore." He said darkly before leaning closer into her neck and breathing in deeply. Rosie froze, Shifty and Gene looked furious after they looked up from the article to see how close Thomas Baker was to their friend. The sick feeling in Rosa's stomach only grew larger as she felt his lips on her neck, kissing her. Rosie jumped back out of her seat as quickly as she could when Baker forced his lips onto hers. She tried pushing him off put he grabbed her harder and held her in place. In a split-second moment, Rosie was able to bring her knee up hard between his legs and punch him in the face before quickly making a run for the exit. As she ran out the door and to the side of the building, she could feel the tears she was trying so hard to hold in, finally escape. Her breathing began to increase as she tried not to panic, and her head spun as she bent over and began throwing up all over the ground.

She rushed away from the building when she heard Baker and his friends begin laughing and making their way out. She quickly walked down the road, faster and faster to her barracks as she heard Gene and Shifty calling after her. When she passed by the barracks of Dog Company, she heard their laughter as they yelled at her from the door. She could also see Speirs staring at her from inside the officer's barracks, face as unreadable as always. Shit, he probably heard the article too.

She turned her head away from them and continued on. Tears were still running down her cheeks as she finally got into her barracks and made her way to the tiny latrine at the end. She slammed the door behind her and slid down the door before breaking into loud sobs. Her whole body shook as she cried. She didn't care who heard, she wasn't thinking about that. Her mind was stuck on that article and the disgusting feeling of Baker all over her. She scratched at her skin, trying to get the feeling of him off of her. He made her sick. How could he do that? In front of Shifty and Gene too.

*****

A couple minutes later she heard a knock on the door and someone's voice.

"Rosa, est-ce que tu vas bien?" It was Gene. He knocked again, harder this time. "Rosie, please come out."

Rosa didn't answer him. She stared at the wall in front of her, absentmindedly scratching at her skin.

It was a couple hours until Rosie came back out. Luckily, none of the boys were back yet so it was just Gene and Shifty. As soon as Gene saw the blood and scratches all over her hands and arms, he rushed off to the infirmary to get some pain medicine and things to clean her up. Shifty, who was sat on her bed waiting for her to come out, just opened his arms wide for the girl as she sat next to him. She quickly accepted the offer and hugged him back, crying into his shoulder as she talked about everything that just happened. Gene soon returned with bandages, cloth, some water and some pain medicine. He dipped the cloth in some water and used it to wipe the blood from Rosie scratches.

"I don't want anyone to know." Rosie said quietly, her voice barely making a sound.

"Mars, are you sure? We should report it, get them kicked out." Shifty argued.

"No, I don't want this to turn into anything. Please, I just want it all to go away." She said weekly. This was not the Rosie they knew; something was terribly wrong.

Gene and Shifty saw that and agreed straight away out of respect for their friend. From then on, they all decided not to mention what Baker had done to her. Rosie didn't care about people knowing about the article though.

"You know Rosa, you don't have to listen to that article. It just some rich, Harvard kid, sitting in his office talking about things he doesn't understand. None of its true." Gene said.

Rosie smiled at him as he continued bandaging her hands. "I know." She grimaced a little as he brushed one of the scratches by accident.

"Hey Mars...I'm sorry we didn't do anything. We should've pushed him off of you or something." Shifty said quietly, looking down ashamed of himself.

"It's ok, it all happened so quick. I don't think any of us really processed what happened until after I left." Rosie said, smiling at him to show she didn't blame him.

"I guess, but it's not really an excuse. I shoulda done something...I'm sorry." Shifty swallowed hardly as he wrapped his arm around Rosie.

*****

It had been a couple days since the incident in the mess hall and Rosie was still feeling a pretty shit about it. Luckily, they weren't training anymore as everyone was preparing for the march to Fort Benning, so it gave her some time to recover. Her bandages had come off but now and the self-inflicted scratches had basically healed up and were barely noticeable. Easy Company was still a bit wary about everything though. While none of them knew the full story except Shifty and Eugene, the rest of the men did know about the article and Baker's comments towards her.

They had just come back from their time in town to find Shifty and Gene surrounding Rosie in her bed as they all sat and spoke in hushed voices. A couple of the men had noticed something was up so Joe Toy asked Rosie. When she told everyone about the article and what Thomas Baker had said, everyone got angry. Toye, Bill and Joe Liebgott had all sat down with her and Shifty and chatted her ears off, making sure she knew none of it was true. Luz had come over soon after to tell some of his famous jokes and the rest of the boys crowded around to join in the conversations and help take her mind of everything.

And even though they didn't know about the other part, they could tell something more had happened. The bandages on her hands, how quiet and reserved she was and how little she had been eating and sleeping in the days since the incident all gave it away. They knew that whatever it was must've been bad. No one mentioned it though, realising that if she wanted them to know then she would've told them by now.

Despite that, the boys of Easy could tell that it had upset their small friend quite a lot so they wouldn't let anyone outside of Easy Company get close to her. None of them wanted to risk anything happening again, especially when they were so close to getting their jump wings.

 **French Translations**  
Est-ce que tu vas bien = are you alright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapters a bit of a different style to what I usually do but I thought I should also focus on how Rosa is treated outside of Easy. It was a little difficult to write the assault part because I know it's such a sensitive topic and I wasn't really sure how to approach it at first. I really hope I did it in a clear but respectful way and it hasn't offended anyone. This chapter is also heavily inspired by a part in Sunshine Soldier by @wexhappyxfew (wattpad). The article part and the group of men harassing the main character is an idea she had in her book and I thought it was great so I used it and put my own twist on it. Thank you again for reading xx ♥️✌🏻


	21. 11 Retaliation

The best confidence builder is experience.  
— Unknown  
  


Rosie didn't even want to think about how they got to Fort Benning. Colonel sink had read about a Japanese Army unit that held the world record for marching and decided that his men could do better. So, he ordered the whole 2nd battalion to march the 137 miles from Camp Toccoa to Atlanta in 75 hours. To say it was exhausting would be an understatement. Rosie didn't even know how she did it, her feet were covered in blisters and her legs and back aches the whole way, yet she still stuck with it. Many of the men struggled too. Edward Tipper had almost rubbed his feet raw with the amount of blisters and cuts he had; he could barely walk by the time they boarded the train at Atlanta that would take them to Fort Benning.

On the way over, Rosie and Gene must've gone through the whole company five times already, making sure everyone was not injured or sick. Luckily most of the men were fine except for the sore body that plagued them all for the days to come. Despite how painful the trip over was, everyone was glad to be at Fort Benning to finally complete their jump training and get their wings.

Easy Company was currently in their billets at Fort Benning, resting after the strenuous march and discussing the training that was to come.

"The training's only gonna get harder from here. Soon we'll be jumping out of real planes and doing full practice missions." Tab said as he massaged his aching feet, making sure to be careful of the raw patches.

"Oh yeah, that's gonna be real fun with Sobel around, isn't it?" Rosie said sarcastically. Sobel may be a good trainer but that didn't mean Rosie wasn't wary of his actual field capabilities. The Captain seemed to be all talk and no action if you asked her, so if Rosie was going to trust anyone with combat command, it'd be Lieutenant Winters.

"Mm, a real joy that's for sure." Luz agreed. Rosie giggled at his exhausted expression. Sobel had worked them to the bone at Toccoa and no one was ready for how he'd be now that they were about to do the course to receive their Jump Wings.

"Hey, ya never know, Sobel might let up on us a bit." Malarkey bantered. He knew that was bullshit, this was Sobel they were talking about, he'd take any chance he could get to harass someone, even if it was for no real good reason.

Everyone in the billet laughed at that. The day Captain Sobel took it easy on Easy Company would be the day he died.

"Either way, I'm excited and nervous for the new training. We'll finally be practicing everything we learnt in the lectures." Rosie added as she began stretching her legs out and her shoulders. Her joints creaked as she moved, casing her to cringe a little. They begin the jump course in a few of days, and she wasn't sure how well her body would take it.

Eugene, who was on the bed next to her, chimed in. "I just hope that we get some more medic training. They taught us all this stuff and we ain't been able to practice it yet."

Rosie looked to her friend beside her and agreed. "Yeah, I overheard some of the medics from Dog and Fox Companies complainin' bout that. They all seem to be worried that we'll get out there and have zero experience."

"You mean they haven't let you guys practice anything you've been learning?" Shifty asked incredulously. He saw no point in teaching medics these things if they never got a chance to practice before they actually needed to do them.

"None of the more complex stuff at least, we've only tried things like dressings and wound hygiene." Gene answered. He was quite frustrated with how the medics were being treated. It seemed like everyone was focusing more on the field training and putting little effort into making sure the troops medics were prepared. Every medic in the 2nd battalion, except Rosie, had little to no experience with anything they'd been taught so far, and they were all petty anxious about it.

"Gee, that's not good, maybe y'all should write a letter or go to the CO's about it." Shifty advised.

"You know what, Shifty. That may not be such a bad idea." Rosie agreed, smiling at the man in front of her.

That afternoon, Rosie, Gene and the rest of 2nd battalion's medics got together and discussed their predicament. They all came to an agreement that they needed realistic training and more practice, and they decided to write a letter to the CO's and command of 2nd battalion.

_To whom it may concern,_

_As the medics of 2nd Battalion, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division, we feel that we are not receiving the appropriate level or adequate amount of medical training required to do our jobs correctly and efficiently. In order for the medics to properly function and do our jobs to the best of our ability, we require more realistic training and better preparation for combat. We request that we are given more chances to practice our taught techniques and methods on real patients in order to experience what it will be like to treat wounded men in the field._

_Regards,_   
_2nd Battalion Combat Medics_

Rosie finished reading the letter out loud to the other medics and they all agreed that it was just right. Forceful enough that it got their point across but still respectful.

"Ok boys, are we ready to send this off?" Rosie asked, looking around the room.

"I think so. I just hope they listen to us." Edwin Pepping, Easy's other medic, said as the rest just nodded and hummed in agreement.

Colonel Sink received the letter that night and held a meeting with the companies' CO's and soon enough the following evening, the medics were all lead into the training room after dinner. Sobel and the officers from the other companies stood at the front of the hall, waiting for the medics to prepare themselves before they began practising. Gene glanced at Rosie as they went over their equipment, he handed her a bottle of liquid which she tapped a couple times and checked the label before handing a razor over to Mampre. As they all sat down in front of their officers, all the medics from Easy Company shared a look. They had a plan, they knew it was risky, but they were willing to do it.

"Colonel Sink received the letter you all wrote," Sobel said, looking around the room at all the medics in front of him, "and he has agreed to provide you with 'casualties' to practice on, including myself and Lieutenant Grosse of Dog Company. You will have a couple hours to practice tonight. You may begin." He finished as all the officers got into positions and waited for the medics to begin.

All the medics quickly got to work on their casualties, practicing slings, splints, casts, bandaging, injections and evacuations. The medics were genuinely asking for more realistic training in the beginning, but they all decided fairly quickly they could have a little fun with it too, so after they had finished the basics, they set their plan in motion. They began injecting morphine into different parts of the body, causing most of the officers to become drowsy while the others got knocked out. Medics from all different companies started grouping up with each other and focusing on the officers, playing their pranks and jokes.

Rosie and her group made their way over to Sobel and Grosse who were both fairly drowsy from the morphine. Rosa carefully crouched next to them and waved her friends over, she then pointed to Lieutenant Grosse first as Pepping and a medic from Dog Company joined her and hurriedly knocked him out with some more morphine while Mampre began shearing his moustache off with the razor Rosie had given him earlier. At the same time, Gene joined Rosie as she quickly filled a syringe with the sedative that he gave her and administered it to Sobel, knocking him out almost instantly. Rosa giggled quietly as Gene then handed her a scalpel that he had hidden in his med kit and she quickly made an incision where Sobel's appendix would be. Eugene stitched it up and dressed the 'wound' as the rest of the medics tried to stop themselves from laughing too loudly. When everyone had finished and neatly laid their chosen patients in a line, they checked they hadn't left any evidence before walking out the door with hushed snickers and chatter.

Once the group was clear of the training hall, Rosie busted out into full blown cackles. She had to stop and take a breather for a moment as the other medics' laughter and chatter grew louder and louder. They all quickly shared high-fives and short stories of what they did to their officers before splitting up and heading back to their billets. Rosie opened the door still almost crying with laughter and joy as Gene shut the door, doubled over behind her and laughed out a wheeze, causing Rosie to laugh harder than before. Everyone in the room was shocked at the sight of their two, usually very composed and level-headed medics, almost rolling on the floor, cackling and wheezing. The men shared a confused and slightly concerned look as they chortled and screamed out what they could barely make out to be French.

"Uh, what's all this about?" Lip questioned cautiously, as he made his way over to the girl and helped her off the ground once the two had calmed down. Rosie tried to answer but she ended up snorting and laughing again, which set Gene off again too. Rosie caught her breath, exhaled a few times and barely managed to speak.

"Oh, nothing you need to worry about Lip." Rosie said, trying to remain calm. "Just some...medic stuff." She giggled out and looked over to Gene mischievously. By now they both had tears running down their cheeks and permanent grins on their faces. Rosie quickly muffled another chuckle that tried to escape her throat as her and Gene walked to their bunk bed, passing the groups of confused men on their way.

Lipton may not have to worry about what had happened, but Sobel definitely would.

The next morning rumours flooded the battalion as many of the officers turned in the morning with missing moustaches and hair. In particular, Easy Company had to control their joy and laughter when Lieutenant Winters entered the billet and informed them all that due to an 'unexplainable and unexpected procedure', Captain Sobel would be resting until the commencement of the Jump Course in a few days' times. Apparently, someone had performed a mock appendectomy, making it appear like the Captain's appendix had been removed.

Rosie, Gene, Mampre and Pepping all just shared looks of amusement and coughed down their giggles as the company was informed of the news. It didn't take long for the men of Easy to figure out who had done that to their CO and that that was why their two medics had busted into their billet in an uncontrollable fit of giggles and laughter the previous night. Soon after Winters left, the entire billet was cackling and patting their medics on the back.

Everyone hated Sobel. He treated Easy Company like shit and everyone knew that at some point, a little retaliation would come. No one expected it to come from the most passive members of the Company though, so that in itself made it even more hilarious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapters a bit of a shorter, filler one, mainly just going over how they got to Fort Benning and some funny business with the medics. This is also based on something the actual medics of Easy Company did during training and I thought it was too funny not to include. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading xx✌🏻


	22. 12 Jump Wings

A true heart should never be doubted.  
— Unknown  
  


Despite his fast and easy recovery and the knowledge that his appendix had not in fact actually been removed, Sobel was still very angry at what had happened. It had been a couple days since the incident, and no one had come forward or accepted responsibility for it, so no further investigation was conducted. Everyone knew who did it though, it was extremely obvious, but without any evidence or an official confession, nothing could be done, not that anyone really wanted there to be anyway.

Rosie, however, did have a slight spring in her step and an even wider smile ever since that fateful night and the men of Easy were glad to see their little friend so happy. It definitely had something to do with the 'Sobel incident'. Rosa was also happy with the news that now that Captain Sobel had recovered, Easy Company was cleared to get their Jump Wings and become official US paratroopers.

They had been in and out of lecture and training rooms all day, preparing their equipment and folding their own parachutes. Rosie could hardly believe they were being made to fold their own parachutes for their first ever real jumps. She was shaking slightly as she refolded her parachute for what felt like the hundredth time that night. She couldn't afford to mess up, no one could. Any mistakes would result in serious injury or death.

As Rosie finished double checking her equipment again, she looked around the room at the men surrounding her. Every man was focused on the parachute in front of him, folding it carefully and slowly, making sure every part was perfect. The tension and concentration in the room was overwhelming. Everyone was both excited and nervous for what was to come.

"Hey." Gene said quietly while nudging Rosie arm with his elbow.

"Yeah?" Rosa said quietly, looking at Gene with curiosity written all over her face.

"How'd you think you'll go tomorrow?" He asked.

"Good, I hope. I'm nervous though." Rosie gulped as she thought about to the possibilities. "So many things could go wrong and every outcome I can think of is bad." Rosie chuckled darkly as she put her parachute into its bag.

"Me too, I'm sure everyone will be fine though. We're paratroopers after all." Gene smiled softly at the girl.

"Not yet we're not. Maybe try again midday tomorrow."

Rosie and Gene laughed before moving their topic onto something less stress inducing. Men all around them finished packing their parachute bags and put them into the storage area before everyone exited the training hall and made their way to the billets. Everyone in Easy Company went to bed fairly early that night, wanting to get a good night's rest in preparation for their jumps the following day. No one wanted to be that one person who didn't pass, especially after coming this far.

Easy Company was currently sat in the airfield the following morning, receiving their instructions and pre-jump talk from the jump sergeant. The air was filled with anticipation and concentration from every man as they all listened to the sergeant talk about the series of jumps that they would be about to conduct. Rosie could hardly believe what was about to happen. If she passed, she would have officially made it as the first woman in US military history. She would be the first woman to ever be in active combat on the frontlines with the men. If Rosie passed these 5 jumps, she would prove everyone who ever doubted her, wrong and she would be keeping her promise to her brother.

"So, do we feel like we're ready to be army paratroopers?" The jump sergeant asked.

"Yes, sergeant." the group yelled back enthusiastically. The energy on the airfield was strange, a mix of anxiety and excitement engulfed the company. Rosie couldn't wait to feel the real sensation of what they had been training to do. To finally jump out of a real plane and parachute to the ground was a very new and exciting experience for her and the rest of Easy Company. They had all folded their parachutes and packed their equipment the previous night, in preparation for this moment and Rosie hoped that they had all done it right. She didn't want to lose anyone this close to receiving one of the greatest honours of being an airborne recruit. Their Jump Wings (and finally being able to blouse their trousers over their boots).

"I hope so. This'll be the first of five exits from a C-47 aircraft scheduled for today. Upon successful completion of your fifth and final jump, you'll be certified army paratroopers." The sergeant informed the group. An excited chatter overcame them at the mention of becoming certified paratroopers, it's all any of them had wanted. Easy Company had trained so hard to be here and to finally be at the point of receiving their wings meant that failure wasn't an option.

After a while, the sergeant finally finished speaking and Easy was led onto the tarmac where they were began preparing for the jumps. Everyone quickly loaded onto the C-47's and took their seats. Rosie was sat between Luz and Lieb who both gave her a side hug each and squeezed her hand. Everyone in Rosa's plane shared smiles and words of luck as their plane took off into the sky. As it ascended higher and higher, Rosa's heart thumped intensely in her chest and a pit settled in her stomach as every jump technique they had learnt at Toccoa raced through her mind. The hum of the airplane filled her ears as the young medic let the vibrations from its engine calm her nerves. She wasn't exactly scared of the jump; it was the unfamiliarity of the situation and the constant idea that something could go wrong that made her nervous. What if her or someone else's chute didn't deploy? What if she landed wrong and broke both her legs? What if she failed?

"Get ready!" their jumpmaster yelled over the noise of the plane, pulling Rosie from her thoughts as she grabbed the hook attached to her webbing. "Stand up!" Everyone in the plane stood on command as the jump master continued yelling orders. "Hook up!" they hooked themselves to the line above. Rosie had a little trouble reaching it but with some help from her tip toes and Joe, she managed to get herself attached.

"Check equipment!" The instructor yelled while patting his chest and signalling what to do.

Rosie quickly patted herself down, checking her own webbing before making sure Luz's was all good too. She felt Joe behind her, checking her equipment and giving her harness and webbing a few experimental tugs. She did the same to Luz's as she heard another order.

"Sound off for equipment check!"

Men behind her began to yell confirmations that the men in front of them was all good and soon the yell made it was way down the line to her. "Four okay!" Lieb yelled, patting her arm to indicate she was good as well.

"Three okay!" Rosie yelled and whacked Luz firmly on the shoulder.

Soon the equipment check was finished, and the jump light turned green, signifying that it was time to jump. They made their way forwards and one after another, men in front of Rosie jumped from the door on the instructor's orders.

"Go, go!" he called as Luz disappeared out the door and Rosie took his place.

"Are you ready?" the instructor called to Rosa.

"Yes sir!" She called back with a cheerful grin.

"Good. Go!"

Well, here goes nothing.

Rosie jumped from the plane before any rational part of her brain could stop her. Wind rushed through her ears as the initial prop blast tore at her, violently jostling her around. Milliseconds after the jump, Rosa quickly gained her orientation and her training kicked in. She counted to 4 before reaching her hand up and pulling on the risers. Her free fall was broken as soon as her parachute opened, slowing her down to a relaxing and peaceful pace and allowing her to look over the scenery below her. It was beautiful. Hundreds of open parachutes drifting to the green grassy fields as the sun shone down on them.

A huge smile broke out on her face, her dimples becoming clearer than ever as her eyes filled with wonder. The wind softy brushed her skin, giving her a slight chill as she descended further to the ground. This was the most amazing thing she had ever experienced.

Rosa landed safely on the grass, absorbing the shock just like she had been taught. Quickly getting control of her parachute which was swaying gently in the wind, she untangled herself from her webbing. Rosie could barely control the loud laughter that erupted from her chest and the smile that took over her face. She pumped her fist in the air as she danced around a happily while giggling with delight.

Bull Randleman, who had landed fairly close to her, came to check on the young girl.

"You okay there, shorty?" He inquired, approaching her with an amused expression on his face.

"Am I okay? Of course I am, that was amazing!" She exclaimed while jumping up and down in front of the large man. "I can't believe I was scared. We have to do that again!" Rosie shrieked excitedly as Bull just looked at the girl and chuckled while patting her shoulder.

"Well lucky for you Mars, we still have four more jumps to do." He reminded her, laughing at her childlike glee.

"Hey kid!" Bill Guarnere called as he strolled up to them, grinning even wider when he saw Rosie's face. "How was the jump?"

"It was amazing Bill. I can't wait to do it again." Rosie's eyes filled with joy at the thought of doing more jumps. The two men chuckled as they listened to their tiny medic go on and on about the jump they had just done. Bill swore he had never seen Rosa look as happy or innocent as that moment. She was so full of joy, like a child opening presents on Christmas morning, and Bill was suddenly sorely reminded of just how young their medic was.

"She's like a goddammed puppy, isn't she?" Joe Toye said as him and a group of other Easy men watched Rosie talk animatedly to Bull and Bill, smiling and giggling and making over the top hand gestures and sound effects. The group laughed and agreed with Toye, watching on fondly as their medic went on and on about her first jump.

Rosie was all smiles and giggles for the rest of the day. The men could hardly believe that she had the same reaction to each jump every time, a smile, a loud laugh and some type of small victory dance. It was honestly quite hilarious and endearing.

Rosa definitely couldn't wait to write to her family about this.

Four jumps later and Easy Company and the rest of the 2nd battalion were all certified Army Paratroopers. They all received their jump wings at a ceremony, and many even got promotions. Rosie was beyond excited. She had done it, she proved them all wrong. She was a paratrooper. Rosa had stood at full attention with a slight smile on her face as Colonel Sink pinned the wings onto her uniform. Sink only smirked and shook her hand firmly in response but his eyes shone with pride, showing the medic that her efforts were recognised and appreciated. After the ceremony had finished and all of Easy had their wings everyone went to celebrate at the nearby bar.

Rosa was currently sat next to Bill Guarnere, watching as he gulped down his beer. Men all around the table chanted as he chugged his drink and she soon joined in.

"One thousand! Two thousand! Three thousand! Four thousand! Five thousand! Six thousand! Seven thousand! Eight thousand! Nine thousand!"

They all cheered as Bill slammed his empty cup on the table and grinned with his jump wings between his teeth. Rosie couldn't help but giggle at his antics, especially once he yelled Sobel's iconic catchphrase.

"Hi-ho silver!" Bill chuckled out, placing his badge on the table. Rosie quickly picked it up, wiped it off with a spare napkin and pinned the badge back onto Bill's shirt.

"Ya better not lose these, especially after you just got them." She said, patting shoulder after adjusting the wings slightly.

"Ah I wouldn't dream of it, kiddo. Not after what we went through to get em'." Bill chuckled out as he slid a full cup of beer down to the girl.

"Uh-uh Guarno, she don't drink. Mars s'only 18, remember?" Bull Randleman said whilst smiling and putting his hand in front of the cup to block it from going any further.

"Hey hey hey, she's an official US paratrooper now, she can do whatever she wants." Bill reasoned jokingly. He knew Rosie couldn't and wouldn't drink, and Bill would never force her to but there was no harm in teasing. Rosie just chuckled and smacked Guarnere on the arm, before turning to Bull.

"Thanks for reminding him Bull, but it seems more like you did it just so you could have the beer." Rosie snickered and nodded slightly to his hand that still held the cup.

"Well, maybe you're right about that one, Rosie." Bull supposed as he began to pick up the glass. But before his hand could make it to his mouth, he was intercepted by Skip who snatched the beer from Bull's grasp and guzzled the amber liquid down in three big gulps.

"Ohoho sorry Bull, weren't fast enough." Skip burped and laughed as he used his sleeve to wipe the foam moustache from his top lip. Bull just stared at the man in shock before shaking his head and calling out to Luz, interrupting his Sobel impersonation. Which Rosie thought was scarily accurate.

"Ehh Luz! Can we get a beer for me and a uhh-," Bull paused and looked to the Rosie, "What do ya want? A cola or lemonade or something?" he asked the girl quietly.

"Just a cola will do, thanks Bull." She said, giggling and shaking her head slightly.

"-and a cola for Mars." He finished.

"No problem, a beer and a cola comin' right up." Luz responded quickly, filling up two cups and quickly making his way from behind the bar and placing the drinks in front his friends. "Here you go, Rosie."

Rosa smiled at the man and thanked him. Just as she was about to take a sip of her coca cola a yell echoed through the room, interrupting everyone.

"Ten-hut!"

The yell scared the shit out of Rosie. She jumped at the noise and ended up spilling some of her drink on herself and the table, causing some men to snicker quietly. Then they all instantly stopped what they were doing, got out of their seats and stood at attention as they noticed Colonel Sink and the rest of the battalion command walking into the room and onto the stage in front of them all. Rosie discretely wiped her hands with a napkin while Sink began to address the room.

"Well at ease paratroopers." Sink said. Rosie relaxed and let out a long breath, hoping the command group hadn't notice the wet patches on the bottom half of her uniform. She looked up at the Colonel when he spoke again. "Good evening Easy Company."

"Evening, sir." The group yelled back.

"Now, parachute infantry is a brand-new concept in American military history. But by god, the 506 is gonna forge that brand new concept into victory." The Colonel smiled as he looked around the room at the men when they answered his statement with excited yells of their own. He had written something similar in his letter to Rosie, the one informing her of her transfer to the Airborne, and Rosie wandered how much he meant it. Soon, the Colonel's eyes found Rosie and focused on her, looking her in the eyes as he continued speaking. "I want you to know that I'm damned proud of each and _every_ one of you. Now, you deserve this party." He smiled slightly, directing it at the young female medic who just beamed back at him as Chuck Grant walked to the front and handed him a glass of beer. Colonel Sink thanked the sergeant before continuing. "So, I want you to have fun and remember our motto. Currahee!"

"Currahee!" The group yelled back at their Colonel and raised their drinks. Rosa and Sink made eye contact again and shared a smile, she knew instantly that he meant each and every word.

Later that night after their party, Rosie was sat in her billet on her bed. Men all around her were holding quiet conversations while she absentmindedly stared at her blankets and tapped her pen on her paper. She was trying to figure out what to write to her family, she knew she was going to write about her jumps, but she just didn't know how. She hadn't written to her parents in almost a month and if the first letter they received from her after all that time was about her throwing herself out of a plane that was thousands of feet above the ground multiple times, she thought they'd probably be a bit shocked and alarmed.

Rosie tried to keep thinking of a how to write her letter when her thoughts were quickly interrupted as a familiar face came into view.

"Hey paratrooper." Gene said quietly, sitting down next to her and smiling.

"Hey." Rosie smiled back.

"Donc, nous l'avons finalement fait. Nous sommes enfin des parachutistes."

"Ouais, je suppose que nous sommes." Rosie answered

"How were your jumps? Good I'm assuming, since we all survived." Gene quirked causing Rosie to break out into quiet chuckles.

"Yes, I do believe we are all alive, Gene." Rosie laughed as she put her pen into her book and shut it. "My jumps were amazing, I loved it. It was probably one of the best feelings I've ever experienced."

"See, everything that could go wrong, didn't." Gene smiled at the girl and recalled their conversation from the other night. "What are you up to?" he asked curiously, noticing the notepad that lay beside Rosie's legs.

"I'm trying to write a letter to my parents, but I don't know what to say." Rosie looked down at her lap and chuckled slightly. "Heh, funny that, I was so excited about it and wouldn't stop talking all day but when it actually comes time to tell my family, I got nothing." Rosie complained slightly and pouted.

Eugene laughed slightly at the girl's frustration before humming. "Mm I'm not great at letter writin', but maybe you could talk about how it all actually felt and what you saw when you jumped." Gene suggested. Rosie thought about it for a second and smiled at the idea, she quickly picked up and opened her notebook, said a small thanks to Eugene before she began writing her letter again. Gene just smiled at the girl, gave her an affectionate pat on her shoulder before walking away, leaving the girl to finish her letter.

_Dear Ma and Pa,_

_How are you? Thank you for your last letter, it meant the world to me. I am doing very well; training is good, and all of my friends say hello. I'm sorry I couldn't get back to you earlier, the battalion moved to Fort Benning to complete our jump training, so I never got time._

_Speaking of jumping, we got certified today! Can you believe that? Your daughter is now a certified Army Paratrooper. We spent most of our time at Fort Benning preparing and training for this day. We had to pack our own equipment bags and fold our own parachutes. I was terrified that I would mess up and my chute wouldn't open but luckily, I didn't. Joe Liebgott said that if I had refolded my parachute anymore times, I probably would've put permanent creases in it. Truth be told though, I was probably being a bit excessive, but I just had to make sure everything was perfect for the jump._

_When we were sitting in the airfield before we started, listening to our jump sergeants 'pre-jump' speech I was so nervous. I was almost shaking. I don't think it was actually nerves for the jump though, more the fact that I had never done something like that before and I had to pack my parachute myself for my first ever real jump. I was also really excited. We had been training so much and so hard to be able to do it properly and now, there we were, about to get our Jump Wings. Being in a plane and knowing that you're about to fling yourself out of it and having to put your life in the hands your folding skills is such a bizarre and terrifying feeling._

_Oh, but let me tell you, when you finally jump from that plane and deploy a parachute for the first time, it is one of the most amazing feelings ever. At first it all feels really hectic and a bit of a mess, but as soon as you get your orientation back and your chute opens, you feel so calm. Everything just slows down instantly and you're able to take your time and appreciate everything around you. When I jumped there were fields below me, it was all so green and I got see all the tiny flowers, even from that high up! The wind on my face was freezing but so refreshing too. The sight of hundreds of open parachutes slowly drifting to the earth was absolutely beautiful. The whole experience was so exhilarating. I felt completely weightless and free._

_Surprisingly, I felt the same way about the other four jumps. The boys thought it was hilarious how excited and happy I got after each one. Joe Toye even called me puppy, I don't think he knew I heard or meant for me to, but I definitely did._

_Once we finished all five of our jumps, Colonel Sink gave each of us our Jump Wings at some fancy, official ceremony. I think that was one of the proudest moments of my life. I was so happy to finally get them. I hope you're proud of me too._

_Also, after the ceremony we had a party. Everyone was so happy, and I really enjoyed myself. Bill tried to give me beer but luckily Bull Randleman stopped him instantly and Luz got me a cola instead. It was so funny, Bull was about to drink the beer meant for me and just as he was picking it up, Warren Muck stole it right out of his hand and scoffed it down so quickly. I swear I've never seen anyone consume something so fast without throwing up afterwards. I've also never seen someone look half as shocked as Bull had in that moment too. It was hilarious. Luz was also doing some of his famous impressions that night and I have to say, his Captain Sobel one is scarily accurate. I overheard it and I almost jumped right out of my skin._

_Ma, Pa, I'm glad I got transferred to the Airborne, I don't know where I'd be without it and the boys. I didn't really know what to expect when I first left for Georgia but I'm grateful that it was by my own choice in the end. If I'm being completely honest, I probably would've given up almost instantly if it wasn't. I also reckon it would've made the training even harder if I didn't want to be there at all. But no matter how hard it was, I'm glad I stuck through it all and accomplished what many thought was impossible._

_Anyway, I will leave it there for now. I hope this letter finds you well. Tell Trixie I say hi too._

_Au revoir pour le moment. Je t'aime._

_From your loving daughter,_   
_Rosalie_

**French Translations**  
Donc, nous l'avons finalement fait. Nous sommes enfin des parachutists = So, we finally did it. We are finally paratroopers.

Ouais, je suppose que nous sommes= Yeah, I guess we are

Au revoir pour le moment = Goodbye for now

Je t'aime = I love you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Chapters may take a bit longer to come out now that I'm back at school but I definitely plan on trying to keep it consistent. Thank you for reading and being patient. ✌🏻


	23. 13 New York

No gift is more precious than trust.  
— Unknown  
  


**Camp Mackall, 1943**

After the 506th received their Jump Wings, they moved to Camp Mackall, North Carolina where they continued their training as paratroopers. Luckily, they didn't have to march the whole way like last time, which saved Rosie and Eugene lots of time and effort when looking after the men. No blisters or cuts to clean, no fatigue, aching muscles or dehydration. It was great. When they got there, they had been given a new schedule full of training and manoeuvres, which Rosie was excited about. The new training usually consisted of more weapons and tactical work and realistic field and combat exercises.

The uniform had changed slightly too. Instead of the old training OD's they used to wear, they were training in their combat uniforms and for the medics, that meant they had to wear a white armband with a red cross on their upper bicep. Every medic was proud to wear that armband. It defined and separated them from the rest of the men and identified them as some of the most integral and valuable members of their company. Rosie must've been the happiest out of all of the medics though because for her, that white and red cross armband signified that she had been successful in part of her goal and had proven herself worthy of her rank and position in the Airborne.

Easy Company also got a new officer. Lieutenant Harry Welsh, originally from the 82nd, was now a part of Easy and he fit in quite well if Rosie did say so herself. He was a short Irishman with a good sense of humour and an affinity to alcohol, much like Lieutenant Nixon. Rosie liked Welsh. He seemed to have no issue with her being a woman, he treated her like the other men and never talked down to her. Though, he did get quite a shock when he first got introduced to the Company and the first person he saw was a woman, especially one he had heard so much about too. Rosie hadn't realised that she had become that well known within the military and she didn't exactly want to think much about it either. It made her nervous. She had no idea about the general opinion of her outside of the Airborne was, but if the other companies' treatment of her was any idea, she didn't want to know anyway.

Unluckily for Easy, Sobel was still in charge though and he hadn't gotten better. In fact, every man agreed that he had gotten worse. It was safe to say Rosie was beyond frustrated. Her prediction had been correct. Sobel was shit at his job. As Captain of Easy Company, Sobel was expected to lead them in the field and make sure they were all safe. Seems easy enough for a captain with all that training experience under his belt, right?

Wrong.

Sobel couldn't read a map for shit, he had no sense of direction and he always got jumpy, constantly making decisions that would get half, if not the entire company killed if it was a real-life combat situation. And now, after weeks of field training and unreliable command from Captain Sobel, the battalion was preparing to move out and be shipped off to who knows where. In some ways, Rosie was thankful, that meant they were close to doing their jobs and not having to endure any more of Sobel's training or embarrassments. But another part of her was scared because that also meant that if something wasn't done soon about Easy's 'problem', then they would have to follow that man into combat.  
Rosie was currently sat on the ground, leaning on her stuff and ranting to the group of men she was sitting with. Joe Toye, Roy Cobb, Popeye Wynn and Shifty Powers were all just as pissed off and worried as her.

"So much for promising my brother I'd come back. Jeez, Sobel will be the death of me, maybe even all of us. Who knows at this point." Rosie groaned as she rested her chin on her knee and began fiddling with her boot laces. It had only been a day since their last field exercise at Mackall and everyone was still fuming. Sobel had messed it up again. The Company had been in the perfect position for an ambush, but Captain Sobel decided they were in the wrong position entirely, so he ordered Easy to move out which led to them getting ambushed by the enemy team, 'losing' 95% of the company and failing the manoeuvre. It wasn't like this hadn't happened before; this same situation happened on almost all of their other missions too. The first time it happened, Rosie and some of the men brushed it off and decided to give Sobel the benefit of the doubt, but after the fifth time, they just couldn't ignore it anymore. Sobel was incompetent and a risk to the men.

"Mars is right, you gotta admit it. He's got no chance. Either the Krauts will get him," Cobb spoke as he looked up at Joe Liebgott, who crouched down next to Rosie to listen into the conversation, "or one of us." Rosie was honestly surprised that Cobb had agreed with her. It may've only been because she was bad mouthing Sobel, but the two paratroopers never really got along or agreed on anything, so the whole situation was still shocking.

"Who, Sobel?" Joe asked as he looked around the group.

"Yep." Rosa answered.

"He screwed up one manoeuvre." Shifty tried to defend their Captain but he knew it was no use. It was more than one manoeuvre, and everyone knew it. Rosie just raised an eyebrow at him and exhaled sharply. Shifty always tried to see the good in everyone, but at this point it was too difficult to extend that same curtesy to Captain Sobel.

"Well, you know how I'm always fumbling with grenades. It would be easy if one went off by accident, you know?" Joe said causing Rosie to snort.

It wasn't exactly what Lieb said that Rosie found so funny, it was just how casually he had said it. "Joe, as much as I dislike him and how helpful that would be. You can't go around blowing up our CO." Rosie giggled, smiling at her friend and giving him a pat on the shoulder. Joe just frowned at Rosie's rejection of his offer as Shifty began speaking again.

"Well, now, they must've put him in charge for a reason." Shifty tried to defend again. He was one of the sweetest men Rosie had ever met, and extremely optimistic too. Most times it was a good thing, but not when it came to Sobel.

"Shifty, c'mon. I know you're trying to find the light in this situation, but this is Sobel we're talking about. He's made too many mistakes and mishaps on manoeuvres for it to just be a one-off thing." Rosa countered.

"Yeah, cause the army wouldn't make a mistake, right, Shift?" Lieb agreed with her. Shifty just sighed, knowing his friends were right.

As Liebgott said that, Rosie looked up to see Sergeant Lipton looking straight at the group with a look of disappointment on his face. The group looked right back at him in shame and he walked away. Rosie couldn't help but feel a little ashamed, she never liked to disappoint the men, especially Lipton.

"Ah shit, he heard us." Toye said, frowning slightly.

Soon the whistle and order for everyone to get on the Jeeps came and everyone began moving around. Rosie sighed and stood up, stretching her back out before reaching down a grabbing her bags.

"You gonna sit with us?" Popeye asked.

"No sorry, Gene and I already agreed to sit together the whole way. We're gonna go over some notes." Rosie responded before saying goodbye and making her way over to Eugene. They threw their stuff up onto the Jeep and Gene got up and sat down. He then put his hand out for Rosie to take and helped her up onto the truck. Once the rest of the men finished loading onto the jeeps, they took off and made their way to the train station. The two medics then began talking, getting lost in conversation as Rosie gazed out at the scenery in front of her. Over the ride to the train station, Rosie thought about the journey ahead of them and where they were going. She also wondered if they would survive Sobel.

*****

On the train ride to their destination, men all around were theorising about where they were going. Some thought they would be going to New York and then be shipped off to Europe, and others suggested that they were going to California and then the Pacific. Even though Rosa and Gene had discussed it many times and tried to work it out through the little information they were given by their officers, they still had no idea. Gene was leaning more towards Europe, but Rosie didn't know which one at all. She didn't really mind either though, as long as she was with Easy Company.

Thinking about it then, Rosa missed her brothers and part of her hoped that they would all be in the same place. Jamie was in the Marines though, so he was definitely going to go to the Pacific. Rosie wasn't sure about Richie, he was in the Army Rangers and no one had any idea where they were going yet, not even the Rangers themselves. She had asked both her brothers through their shared letters and Jamie was the only one who was sure of where he was going. It scared Rosa a bit, to not know who or where she was going to be fighting. It also saddened her to know that she wouldn't get a chance to say goodbye to any of her family before she left either, she'd only be able to do it through letters.

Sometime during the train ride though, it was announced that the Airborne was going to New York, then England and then to Europe.

Looks like the Marseille twins were going to be separated for a little while longer. While Jamie was off fighting the Japanese, Rosie would be fighting the Germans. She was a little weary about it, the hurt and atrocities Germany had committed against France in the Great War were still having an effect on many French families and their new generations to that day, even in her family. So, for Rosie, a part of this war, in some way, was a little personal. Rosa wouldn't let that take hold of her, she had a job to do and no part of that job was to hate anyone. Rosa couldn't help but think that it was a bit ironic though, a Marseille woman was once again treating wounded men in a war against Germany. Rosie had always been told she was very similar to her mother and this just topped it.

*****

After almost a full day on the train, the 506th finally reached New York, where they were given a few weeks to do whatever they liked before shipping out to England. Most men went to town and hit the bars all night – drinking and finding women to spend the night with – while the others stayed on base and did nothing. Rosie was in the few who chose to stay back, she wasn't that familiar or comfortable with any other place expect her small country town and she couldn't even drink so she saw no point in going out. She didn't want to ruin the men's fun just because they had to cater to her, it wouldn't be fair.

Most of the men accepted that as a reasonable answer but to men like Skip and Alex Penkala, it wasn't satisfying enough. They insisted she go into the famous city at least once. Other than going out to bars all night and drinking, Skip and Penk had spent a lot of their time in New York trying to convince Rosie to go out and have some fun with them. Other men like Hoobler and Floyd Talbert had joined in too. The four of them had practically made it their personal mission to get their tiny medic off her ass and into the city. They had concocted a plan to succeed in that mission too.

It would've been around midday when Rosie had been woken up by the group of men storming into the barracks and badgering her.

"There ain't no way you've come all this way to New York fucking City, only for you to just sit on your ass all day." Skip had said while pulling Rosie out of her bed. Hoobler had shoved her boots and uniform into her arms while Penkala and Tab both stood in front of Rosie with their hands on their hips, refusing to back down until she finally agreed to go out with them. Too tired and confused to argue with the group of determined soldiers, Rosie had agreed without even thinking.

And that's how Rosa ended up in the middle of Central Park Zoo, an ice cream in hand and her four friends hanging off her while they posed for a photo in front of the penguin enclosure (a photo that Rosie would hold on to dearly for the rest of her life).

"I've never seen penguins in real life before, only in the textbooks at school." Rosie exclaimed, looking through the glass at the emperor penguins once the photographer had given them all a copy of the picture and left.

"Aren't ya glad we made you come with us now?" Hoobler asked, putting his arm around the girl.

"I sure am." Rosie answered, eating the last of her cone and wiping her mouth on her sleeve. "Where're we off to now?" She asked. Rosa was thankful the men had pushed her to go out that day, she didn't expect it to be this fun. If she was being honest, Rosie was getting a little bored spending all day on base and doing nothing, so visiting all the classic tourist destinations in New York was a welcome change of pace. It was something she had always dreamed of doing too. Though it was a little uncomfortable at first, so many people had stared at the girl in the Airborne uniform, whispering and gossiping when she and her friends would walk past. She ended up forgetting it all as soon as Alex had placed an ice cream in her hand and Tab dragged her over to the lions.

"I was thinking maybe we go to Times Square, see all the street performers and try some of that famous New York pizza everyone talks about. How's that sound?" Talbert suggested as the group made their way out of the zoo and into Central Park.

"Sounds good."

"Yeah, sure."

"Nice, I like that idea."

"Fine by me."

Everyone agreed and the five of them made their way to Times Square, spending the rest of the night watching all the performers, looking at the lights and eating the famous pizza. Rosie spent the whole night looking around in wonder and glee, she had never seen so many people and lights in her entire life. The big cities of America were definitely different from her small country town. Rosie was glad her friends had forced her out of bed that morning.

*****

Rosa fiddled absentmindedly with her hair as she stared at the table, half listening to her friend's conversations. Her hair was getting longer again, now reaching to below her collar bones. Not as long as it used to be but still longer than it had ever been during training, she was honestly surprised Sobel hadn't crucified her for it yet. She would have to ask Liebgott to cut it for her again sometime. Rosa had realised around a month into basic training that long hair only got in the way and was nuisance to her when doing her job, that as well as Sobel's threat caused her to keep it short, but now that Easy was on a break Rosie had forgotten all about her hair.

Finally listening in to her friend's conversation, Rosie realised they were talking about England. The battalion had received news that they were being shipped off to England in the next couple of days and to prepare themselves. Rosa thought she would be more excited but for some reason she wasn't. She was terrified. They were so close to what they had been training for and yet Rosie felt as though she was not prepared at all. Part of Rosie couldn't wait to get out there and actually do her job but mostly, she just wanted a little more time. Time to see her family again and more time to prepare herself. No matter how well trained and confident she was in her abilities as medic and nurse, Rosie still couldn't help but hear Sobel's and many others words in the back of her mind. _You're going to get men killed._ Rosie didn't realise how much those words had affected her until now, despite knowing they weren't true in the slightest she still doubted herself. She guessed it was just what happened when you were finally given time to yourself, there was finally time to think and process everything.

No longer wanting to listen to the men's conversation about England, Rosie excused herself and quickly made her way out of the mess hall and over to the barracks, hoping to find Liebgott on the way. Just as she was about to get to the stairs, she bumped into someone, getting knocked to the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry Corporal. Are you alright?" The man reached his hand down to help Rosie up. She realised instantly that she had run into Lieutenant Winters. Taking his hand and getting to her feet, Rosie quickly brushed herself off before apologising profusely.

"Yes, I am. I'm so sorry sir, that was completely my fault, I wasn't paying attention and-"

"Corporal, it's okay. I'm just as much at fault." Winters interrupted the girls rambling. Something was off. Rosalie was never this finicky. "Are you sure you're okay, you seem a bit off. Did something happen?" Winter's asked the girl again. He was concerned something had happened with the men from Dog Company again.

Rosie hesitated. Was she okay? She didn't know. Her head was full of thoughts and the words of hateful men.

_You're going to get men killed._

Clearing her throat, Rosie wasn't exactly sure what to say. She wanted to ask Winter's if he thought it was true, but she didn't think that would be appropriate. But then again, this was Winters, not some random officer who thought he was the best thing since sliced bread. Lieutenant Winters was a kind and fair man. Rosie doubted he would punish her for asking a question. "Sir, do you think I'm a bad medic? Do you think I'll get our men killed?"

Winter's paused, shocked at the question. Rosalie was their best medic, probably even the best in the entire battalion. "What? Who told you that Corporal?"

"Everyone, sir. Captain Sobel, that journalist, the men in other companies. They all say it." Rosie answered quietly, looking down at her hands and fiddling with her fingers.

"Don't believe anything they say, Corporal. You're the best medic we have." Winters stated instantly. "You have a gift, Rosalie."

Rosa was taken aback, that was the first time Winters had ever used her full name. It was strange to hear from him, usually he was very professional, always addressing the men by their ranks or last names, never using her or anyone else's first names. "A gift? Sir, I'm not quite sure I understand." Rosie said.

"Your touch, it calms people. You're able to comfort these men and take their nerves away by just being there with them." Winters paused slightly, thinking of what to say next as he watched the girl in front of him. "You give these men hope, Rosie. You may not realise it yet, but they trust you entirely. As do I. We know that we'll be safe as long as we're under your care. And we wouldn't have it any other way."

Rosie stood there, shocked completely out of words and thoughts. No one had said anything as touching as that to her before. It made her emotional and proud that she had finally been able gain the respect and trust of her officers and men. Especially Winters.

She didn't know how to respond. Rosie thought must've looked like an idiot, standing in front of her lieutenant with wide and glossy eyes, opening and closing her mouth like a blubbering fish. Winters chuckled slightly at the girls lack reaction, patting her on the shoulder. Rosie couldn't think of any words to respond to what Winters had said, she could only think to do one thing.

Standing at attention, Rosie raised her hand to her head and saluted the officer in front of her. Winters saluted her back instantly as a soft smile overcame both their faces. Winters meant every word he had said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I know it's taking awhile to get to the actual war part but I still hope this is entertaining and a good read. Thank you for reading and as always, all feedback and suggestions are welcome xx


	24. 14 England

Where we are going always reflects where we came from.  
— Unknown  
  


**Brooklyn Naval Shipyard, 1943**

Easy Company and the rest of the 506th soon found themselves in the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard, boarding the S.S. Samaria, the troop ship that would take them to England. It had taken several hours to load all the equipment and the 5000 plus men onto the ship and get them sorted into bunks. Rosie wasn't sure how the ship had managed to fit everything inside until the company had finally made its way into their bunking area. Everyone was cramped, most beds had two or more men sharing and there was barely any space to move, let alone breathe fresh air. It seemed that the crew had used up most of the ship's space for the equipment and used whatever was left to house the soldiers. Rosie thought that was as bad as it would get, but then, after setting her stuff down and taking the time to look around, she was disgusted to find dirt and grime everywhere, and rats running amuck beneath everyone's hammocks.

Disturbed and disgusted at the conditions they would have to face for the next couple of weeks, Easy Company decided to spend as little time as they could in the bunking area and opted to stand out on deck as the ship set off for the Atlantic.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" David Webster said as the ship passed the Statue of Liberty.

"Yeah, sure is." Rosa responded, looking up at the famous metal maiden with awe. She'd only ever seen the iconic monument in pictures at school and on the news, she never dreamed she'd be seeing it with her very own eyes though. With her flaming torch raised to the sky and her tablet by her side, Lady Liberty looked as though she was waving the soldiers off, shrouding them in her light as she guided them safely out of the harbour. Providing comfort and protection to the thousands of brave men and women who were prepared to sacrifice themselves for freedom.

Rosie kept her eyes trained on the ever-shrinking city and statue before they could disappear from her view and memory for what could be forever. Her chest became tight and her heart heavy as she thought of her family. The letters would take even longer to be received and replied to now and for the first time in her entire life, Rosie would be completely separated from them. Her heart ached even more at the thought that this would be the last time some of these men, and possibly herself, would ever set eyes on their homeland. It was a harsh reality to accept but that didn't make it any less true.

As soon as New York disappeared from her view, Rosie, Malarkey, Web, Perconte and Luz made their way from the rail and through the crowded deck.

"I can't believe we're in the middle of it all." Malarkey complained about their bunks as the group made their way to said area.

"Easy's always doing it tough. I swear we never get a fucking break." Perco agreed.

The group navigated the mass of soldiers, the men making sure to keep Rosie in the middle of them when they passed other companies. That way no one could get too close or touch her. Rosie was thankful, her friends would throw themselves at the men from other companies if they ever tried to touch her, especially after the incident with Thomas Baker and his gang. Even if they didn't actually know what happened, Rosie knew Easy didn't want to risk anything happening again. However, that didn't stop the shrewd yells, whistles and judgemental glares that followed the group. Rosie held her head high and did her best to ignore those men though. She wouldn't let their words affect her like they had done before, especially after what Lieutenant Winters told her.

Eventually the group found its way to their bunking area and Rosie took her place on her bed next to Eugene and Toye where she attempted to get some rest before the long voyage ahead. Shuffling under the provided blanket, she shut her eyes and smothered her ears with her pillow (if you could call it that) trying to block the noise of multiple Companies conversations and ignore the sight of rats scampering around.

She wasn't successful.

Apart from the disgusting cabin conditions and the borderline inedible food that resulted in most men hurling up their guts up in the sick bay, the trip to England was fairly smooth. The men were surprisingly relaxed and calm for people enclosed in such a small space, with barely any freedom to move or breathe. That didn't mean there weren't a few incidents though. One of which occurred just a couple days into the trip across the Atlantic, when the men were discussing their theatre of war.

"Hey, guys, I'm glad I'm going to Europe. Hitler gets one of these right across the windpipe. Roosevelt changes Thanksgiving to 'Joe Toye Day' and pays me ten grand a year for the rest of my fucking life." Toye declared as flicked open his pocketknife.

Rosie snorted at that. The idea of 'Joe Toye Day' sounded almost as ridiculous as Sobel's annoyingly recognisable catchphrase.

"What if we don't get to Europe? What if they send us to North Africa?" Smokey questioned.

"My brother's in North Africa. He says it's hot." Bill chimed in, taking a puff from his cigarette.

"Really? It's hot in Africa?" Malarkey quipped back, looking up from his magazine to the man.

"Shut up." Bill bit back, causing Rosie to giggle and shake head at the exchange. "Point is, it don't matter where we go. Once we get into combat, the only person you can trust is yourself and the fella next to ya."

"Hey, as long as he's a paratrooper." Toye agreed as he rolled over onto his stomach to look at the rest of the group.

"Oh, yeah? What if that paratrooper turns out to be Sobel?" Luz reasoned as he climbed the rest of the bunks to his hammock, making sure to stop and ruffle Rosie's hair on the way. Rosa rolled her eyes, smacked his hand a way and grumbled to herself when Luz laughed at her irritation.

"If I'm next to Sobel then I'm running straight to Heyliger or Winters. There is no way in hell I'd want to be anywhere near that man once the shootin' starts." Rosie growled. Sobel had been getting on her nerves more than usual recently and she definitely wasn't in the mood to put up with his crappy leadership skills.

"I like Winters, he's a good man, but when the bullets start flying, I don't know if I want a Quaker doing my fighting for me." Bill commented as he got up from his spot on his hammock.  
"How do you know he's a Quaker?" Skip questioned.

"He ain't Catholic." Bill stated plainly and took another puff of his cigarette.

"Neither's Sobel." Skip pointed out.

Bill huffed before speaking. "That prick's a son of Abraham."

"He's what?" Lieb snapped.

Rosa looked over at Lieb to see him staring intensely at Bill, nostrils flared, and gaze hardened. Rosie gulped deeply and looked uneasily between the two men. Both Lieb and Bill had uncontrollable tempers and the inability to shut their mouths when it was really needed. This definitely wasn't going to end well.

"He's a Jew." Bill stated casually again, not realising the storm that was brewing just across from him.

"Oh, fuck." Joe huffed out a laugh mixed with disbelief and fury, throwing his cigarette to the ground before jumping off his bed and getting up in Bill's face. "I'm a Jew."

"Congratulations. Get your nose out of my face." Bill growled out, pushing Lieb away from him.

Ah shit, here we go. Rosie just sighed and shook her head, knowing exactly what was going to happen next.

Before the others could comprehend what was happening, Liebgott threw a punch at Bill, aiming straight for the man's face but quickly getting blocked by his arm. Joe then tried to tackle him but was quickly pulled away as men raced in and tried to hold the two apart. Bill and Joe kept lunging at each other, yelling and trying to break free from their comrades' grips though.

Rosie, who sat watching in shock and exasperation, quickly grew tired of the men's tussle and yelling and decided to step in.

Jumping down from her spot next to Gene, she made her way over to the scuffle and worked her way into the middle. Rosa stood completely still and silent; her arms crossed over her chest as she stared intensely at the men, waiting for them to notice her. She received her intended reaction and upon seeing their tiny medic in front of them all, standing there with a deadly look on her face and an unnerving silence, the men's yelling and struggling swiftly subsided. For a few, uneasy moments, no one said anything, too shocked and confused at the fact that Rosie was stood there, with a look on her face that none of them had ever seen before and one they hoped to never see directed at them ever again. Rosie could feel hundreds of sets of curious eyes on her, but she stayed silent, refusing to make a peep until she had complete silence.

Finally, everyone in Easy's general vicinity had been silenced as they watched the tiny woman glare silently, waiting for her to do something.

Now satisfied with the silence she had achieved, Rosie reached up to Bill and Joe's heads, gripping one of each of their ears and pulling them down to her level.

"Ow! Mars, what the hell?"

"No– ouch. Not the ears!"

Rosalie ignored their whines and complaints of pain as she finally began to speak. "That's enough, you two." She spoke, her voice dangerously calm. "You both need to apologise to each other right now."

"Aww but Rosie, he star– " Bill began but was quickly cut off as Rosie tugged his ear once again, bringing him in even closer and causing him to groan again.

"I don't care who started it, I'm ending it right now. You're behaving like children. We are about to go to Europe, and we cannot have you two arguing and squabbling over bullshit. If we're going to survive Sobel and this war, we need to work as a team. We can't do that if you two are at each other's throats. Now, you are both going to apologise to each other, then sit down and shut up for the rest of the trip. Understood?" Rosie snapped firmly, her face setting back into her menacing glare as she finally released the two men from her claws and looked at the other men around them.

Everyone stood in a stunned silence. No one knew what to say or do. Never, in their entire time of knowing Rosalie, had any of the men in Easy Company ever seen her act that way before. If they were being honest, it was terrifying. None had ever thought Rosa could be intimidating but she had just proved them all wrong, once again.

Bill and Joe both gulped nervously, looking between each other and Rosie, who was still staring intently at them. When both men gave hurried nods and exchanged quick apologies to each other, Rosie's death stare was instantly replaced with a sweet smile as she nodded and made her way back to her bunk, where she laid down and shut her eyes with the ghost of a satisfied smirk on her face. The men quickly went back to their beds, and everyone sat in a shocked silence for a while longer.

Rosie's words had stuck with Bill and Joe and for the rest of the trip, they kept their mouths shut.

*****

**September 1943 – Aldbourne, England**

After about two tiring and uncomfortable weeks at sea, the S.S. Samaria finally docked in the harbours of Swindon, England. The battalion stayed there overnight before moving out to a small country town called Aldbourne in the morning. Easy was settling into the town fairly well, falling into a comfortable routine of training and familiarising themselves with the town and its people. Rosie in particular was finding it quite easy to settle in. She thought Aldbourne was beautiful, from the cottages to the cobblestone streets, the lush green fields and even the people, everything about the quaint English town reminded her of her own home. It made the girl unbelievably happy, something which didn't go unnoticed by Easy Company. They were all glad to see their own personal ray of sunshine back to her old, smiley self, especially after the boat ride where she was unusually quiet and unenergetic.

Once they arrived in Aldbourne, the first thing Easy did was get acquainted with their host families. Rosa and Johnny Martin, who were billeted together, were placed with a lovely mother of one, whose husband had died early on in the war. Her daughter, who funnily enough also had a floral name, was an energetic 10-year-old with a feisty personality known as Violet. The girl often reminded Rosa of her own sister, Trixie, who was back home, probably pestering their mother for help with schoolwork. During training, Rosie had often spoken in great lengths about her siblings and how much she missed them, so Jonny could see how happy she was to finally see children again.

When the two first arrived on the family's doorstep, Mrs Emily Porter was there to greet them with a wide smile, a plate of freshly baked cookies in her arms and her beaming daughter at her side. Violet, who was practically vibrating with excitement and amazement, could barely keep her eyes off the two American Soldiers who she had heard about for the weeks prior. She was even more amazed at the fact that one of them turned out to be a woman. The sight was unbelievably amusing to Rosie.

"It's so nice to finally meet you. I'm Emily Porter, but you can just call me Emily, and this is my daughter Violet." The woman said with a smile. "We'll go inside, and I'll show you to your room, that way you two can get some much-needed rest and we can all be properly acquainted with each other before dinner. Violet has so many questions for you!" Rosie smiled at that as she and Johnny followed Emily into the house and up the stairs to their room. "My apologies for such little space, we don't have enough rooms for the both of you, so you'll have to share. I hope that's okay with you both."

Rosie smiled and nodded as she placed her bags next to Johnny's. "Of course, ma'am. We're both used to having no space to ourselves in the army barracks, so for us, this is a luxury." Jonny said politely with a smile.

Soon after that, Emily left the two paratroopers to get comfortable in their new room while she went to make dinner. Rosie and Jonny spent most of that time unpacking and discussing their new location, the things they liked and were excited for and the things they weren't, which was mainly Sobel. The two had almost finished placing all of their equipment and uniforms in the draws when Violet came in and shyly informed them that it was time for dinner. Finishing up their task at hand, the duo followed the young girl out of their room, down the stairs and to the kitchen where the table was covered in an array of delicious looking and smelling foods. Rosie's stomach grumbled loudly at the sight, eliciting a giggle from herself and Violet. Jonny and Rosa said hello to Emily before sitting down at the table.

As soon as they were allowed, the two soldiers began filling their plates with the various foods in front of them. Roast potato, pork with gravy, carrots, peas and corn covered their plates as the soldiers basically drooled in anticipation of the delicious savoury flavour that was about to fill their mouths. The pair's reaction to the food caused Emily to laugh and shake her head in amusement as the soldiers practically scoffed down the roast dinner. It was obvious to her that they hadn't been fed this well in a while.

"I'm guessing this is the best meal you two have had in months?" Emily questioned as she held back another laugh.

Rosie swallowed what was left of, sadly, her last potato and chuckled. "Oh Emily, you have no idea." She said, smiling sweetly at the woman as she tried to discreetly reach her fork over to Jonny's plate to snatch another one. Her attempt proved futile though and it only ended in her hand getting smacked and a scowl being sent her way.

"So how was your trip over?" Emily asked, trying to control her sniggers and start up a conversation.

"It was pretty good ma'am. Other than the rats and the terrible food, there's not much to complain about." Jonny responded, shovelling the last of his food into his mouth before Rosie's prying hands could snatch it up.

"Oh, well, feel free to make yourself at home here. You'll always have a warm bed and hot food in your bellies when you're with me."

Rosa smile at the kind woman in front of her. "Thank you, Emily, we really appreciate that."

"Not to worry. Get some rest tonight, I'll have breakfast ready by 6 tomorrow since you're leaving early." Emily explained, causing the two soldiers to thank her for her hospitality.

Violet, who seemed unusually quiet and still for a girl of her age, sat in her place across from Johnny and spent the entire dinner staring in awe at the two Americans. The young girl seemed as if she wanted to ask so many questioned but couldn't find the right words. It warmed Rosie's heart at how curious and innocent the girl seemed, it caused her to smile slightly to herself as she listened to her friends and host's conversation.

"Why are you in the army?" Violet finally spoke out of nowhere, her curious eyes trained on Rosie.

"Violet Porter, don't be so rude to our guests!" Her mother scolded.

But Rosie's smile only widened, and she chuckled slightly to herself. "It's okay Emily, I know she meant no harm." Rosie interjected before placing her knife and fork down on the table, looking to the young girl adjacent from her and clearing her throat to speak again. "Well, you see, Violet, it wasn't exactly my choice at first. I was originally in the Nurse Corps, but President Roosevelt and General Eisenhower wanted to run a little experiment, to see how well their soldiers would respond to having a nurse on the frontlines with them and how the nurse would cope. And they ended up choosing me to test it out. So now I'm a medic in the America Airborne and I couldn't be happier." Rosie explained to the girl, smiling when her eyes widened even more than before. Rosie swore it looked they were about to pop right out of her head.

"Woah, that's so cool." Violet murmured out as she looked at Rosa even more keenly than before.

"You mean they gave you no choice? They forced you into the army?" Emily voiced her apparent shock and disdain about how the President and General went about picking the candidate for their 'experiment'.

"Yes, I'm afraid so, but everything's okay now. After I received my first letter explaining to me what was going on, I had time to go home and think it over, and when it finally came time to leave for training, I did it on my own account." Rosie reassured the woman, giving her a small smile.

"Ma'am if it's any consolation, the men of Easy believe it's the best choice Rosie and the higher ups ever made. We're proud to have Rosalie in our company." Johnny chimed in, smiling at the women and young girl at the table.

After talking a bit more about their training and life in the army, dinner as finally done, and it was time to pack up. Johnny and Violet both went upstairs to get cleaned up and ready for bed, but Rosie decided to stay downstairs and help Emily with the dishes. The two talked some more and Emily told Rosie about her late husband while Rosie told her about her family and what life was like back home. It was clear that the two women got on like house on fire and that Emily was delighted with the company and who she had been tasked with taking care of. Once the dishes were finally done, Rosie made her way upstairs to the bathroom where she cleaned herself up and then got into bed, ready to finally rest after a long day of travelling and meeting new people.

"You like them, don't you?" Johnny asked quietly as Rosie got comfortable on the mattress across from him.

"I do." Rosie confirmed, smiling to herself as she thought about Emily and Violet. "It'll be sad when we have to leave." She sighed.

Jonny hummed in acknowledgment and agreeance. "Get some sleep kid, we have a big day tomorrow."

"Goodnight johnny." Rosie yawned as her head hit the pillow and she knocked out almost instantly.

Rosa's tiny snores caused Johnny to chuckle quietly to himself and shake his head. "Goodnight Mars."

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER
> 
> I recently had some claims of plagiarism against this story on Wattpad from a concerned user. They noticed some serious similarities between Virago and wattpad user @wexhappyxfew's Sunshine Soldier that i was completely unaware of and they brought it to my attention. I'm thankful they did that as i was able to fix and learn from my mistakes and change these similarities. @wexhappyxfew and I have been in contact and are currently going over any ideas and plot points that are too similar so I am able to change them and prevent anymore confusion or accusations of plagiarism in the future. I will put a disclaimer at the beginning of each chapter that has been changed due to this issue. I'd like to thank the user (who i won't reveal the name of out of respect for them and their privacy) for bringing this to my attention and @wexhappyxfew for being so understanding and cooperative.
> 
> This story is in no way meant to be offensive or disrespectful to the real veterans. I am basing this on the actors portrayals in the show.
> 
> All ideas in this story are my own unless mentioned otherwise, any similarities to other BoB fics are unintentional.
> 
> I do not speak any French at all so most/all French will be from google translate. Sorry if it turns out to be wrong, feel free to correct me at anytime. Special thanks to my cousin who helped me correct a few translations too.
> 
> All gifs, images and quotes in this story do not belong to me, credit goes to the original creators.


End file.
